BIONICLE - Phase 03: Provenance - Part I: Utopian Mystery
by MakutaMutran
Summary: Illumination has come to Mata Nui. In defeating Makuta, ancient secrets hidden away have been revealed. Now that those secrets have been brought to light, it is time for things of old to once again be new. As the Matoran prepare to leave Mata Nui forever, the Turaga and Toa gather to share in the first tale about an ancient and once-advanced city that long ago had its own heroes.
1. Chapter 1

**Beginning Editor's Note: I do not claim to own the Bionicle characters or the majority of these plot points. The material here is simply an edited and compiled version of original Bionicle material. Comics and video games etc. have been transcribed in novel form and fully integrated into one chronological read. The poetic liberties of novelization and editing are all I can claim.**

**Please follow/favorite/PM in order to show your support or interest, and use the forum I made to discuss any questions and feedback on this project. These five parts constitute material from the story year of 2004, constituting what I've called "Phase 03: Provenance." Enjoy!**

* * *

_Sequel to "Bionicle - Phase 02: Illumination - Part IV: Mask of Light"_

Turaga Vakama, elder of the Mata Nui village of fire known as Ta-Koro, stood on a high cliff overlooking the beach. Far below, Matoran from all over the island were hard at work constructing boats for the long journey back home.

Vakama shook his head. Home. It had been so long since any of them had seen it, and the Matoran did not even remember living anywhere but Mata Nui. Only the six village elders recalled when and why they first came to the island, and for hundreds of years, they had locked that secret away inside themselves.

The Turaga turned at the sound of another's approach. It was Tahu Nuva, Toa of Fire and leader of the heroes of Mata Nui. "How go the labors, Turaga?" he asked.

"Quite well, Toa Tahu. We will soon have enough boats to carry us all back to the island city of Metru Nui. The Po-Matoran are at work widening the tunnels so we can carry the boats to the subterranean sea."

Tahu nodded as his mind flashed back to the events of the past months. After the final confrontation with Makuta, the Master of Shadows, the Toa had discovered a new island far beneath the surface of Mata Nui. It sat in the center of a silver sea of protodermis, and they could see few details of it from the shore. But Vakama insisted that this place was Metru Nui, the original home of the Matoran, to which they must return.

Even more startling, the Turaga revealed a shocking secret to the seven assembled Toa: that Metru Nui had once been home to six other Toa, heroes who existed long before Tahu and the others ever appeared. It was not the best news the Toa had heard all day.

"You are _not _the first Toa."

"What?" Tahu had exclaimed.

"Turaga, explain yourself!" Pohatu had implored.

Some of the Toa, however, had been forming their own suspicions, though; Gali and Onua simply focused thoughtful expressions at their respective elders.

"Then hear this…" Vakama had begun, seemingly relieved to be having the conversation despite the tension it had wrought. The elderly Fire Turaga continued his personal reflections, envisioning each part as he described it. In his mind's conjuring, he was flying over a large building in the sea with only one bridge connecting it back to the mainland. "Six Matoran left their lives, traveling in answer to a mysterious summons. They went as Matoran…they came out as far, far more. They emerged as Toa Metru."

But Vakama had said nothing about the fate of those early "Toa Metru," or whether they might still be waiting on Metru Nui—the tale and revelation had ended there.

"I have been in council with the other Toa," Tahu said to Vakama. "l have come to ask you to tell us all about this new land, Metru Nui. If we are going to journey there and protect the Matoran from any threats that might lurk in that place, we must know everything."

Vakama turned and walked away from the cliff. "Indeed you must. But I will warn you, Tahu: the tales of Metru Nui are tales of sacrifice, betrayal, great danger, and yes, heroes as well. Their telling may change much of what you think you know about myself, the other Turaga, and the Matoran you have served all this time."

"I—we—are prepared for that, Turaga," replied Tahu. "The Toa have gathered at the Great Temple of Kini-Nui. They wait only for you."

"Then let them wait no longer, Tahu."

X X X

The seven Toa—Tahu, Kopaka, Gali, Pohatu, Onua, Lewa, and Takanuva—stood silently around the Amaja Circle. The Turaga had used that sandpit and the stones within it many times to tell tales of the past and future.

The Turaga of Fire placed the stone representing Mata Nui in the center of the circle and began. "In the Time Before Time, long before any Matoran set foot on the island of Mata Nui, there existed a vast, beautiful city called Metru Nui—the City of Legends. Yes, my friends…that same island the Toa of Light re-discovered after Makuta's defeat and end. Here, thousands of Matoran worked, played, and lived their lives, under the watchful eye of their leader, Turaga Dume.

"The Matoran believed they would always be safe and secure in their home. But a time of darkness, betrayal, and danger was fast approaching. A time of a conspiracy in the heart of Metru Nui—one that would threaten the very existence of Metru Nui and its citizens. To combat it, six Toa Metru would risk their lives against powerful enemies and forces far beyond anything they could imagine to protect their friends, their home, and their very existence as Toa. Before all would be finished, they would have to challenge the greatest powers of their city, survive shocking betrayal, and see a Toa fall, never to rise again."

The Turaga of Fire looked at his assembled audience of friends, brothers, and sisters, painting vivid images in their minds. "My stories shall tell what happened, and guide you all through this amazing city, from the towering Coliseum to the protodermis canals to the depths of the Ta-Metru fire pits. From my narratives, you will tour the six districts, or Metru, and meet the heroic Toa, cold and efficient Vahki enforcers, strange and powerful Dark Hunters, and bizarre Rahi who lived there."

Now, Vakama had drawn forth a picture-perfect memory for his mind, too. He mentally traveled back to this land as he continued to lead the others there. "The mysteries of the City of Legends are waiting for you; hear now the first tale of Metru Nui…."

X X X

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**1,000 years ago…**

Kapura walked slowly along the outskirts of the district of Ta-Metru, his eyes scanning the ground. Most of the homes and factories in this part of the Metru had been abandoned lately, with the residents moving closer to the heart of the district. It was Kapura's job to make sure nothing of importance had been left behind.

He paused in front of a massive, blackened building that had once housed a forge. Here, construction tools and other equipment had been cast from molten protodermis before being sent on to Po-Metru for finishing. Now, in the interest of safety, that work had been transferred away from the outskirts by order of the city's elder, Turaga Dume. Kapura spotted a padded glove used in the sport of Akilini on the ground and bent down to pick it up, only to discover the seams were torn.

Kapura walked on. This was an important task, his fellow workers had told him, and important tasks were best done slowly and carefully.

The original version of Akilini featured a ball and later evolved into a popular sport played with Kanoka disks; matches drew hundreds of spectators. When there were no official games being played, Matoran all over the city would play on their own, often causing chaos in their efforts to dodge obstacles, even playing in the Archives. Street Akilini became so popular and such a menace to pedestrians that the Vahki eventually had to crack down on it.

Had he looked up, Kapura would have seen the skyline of Ta-Metru, "home of the makers." Cone-shaped factories, scorched by ages of use, stood next to the homes of smiths and crafters. These were the Matoran who molded protodermis, the substance of which everything on Metru Nui was made, into thousands of shapes and forms. A molten river of raw protodermis ran through the center of the district, drawn from below the city and fed into the Great Furnace. From there, it traveled to each factory to be turned into masks, tools, and anything else that might be needed.

Dominating the skyline was the Coliseum, home to Turaga Dume and the tallest building in all of Metru Nui. For as long as anyone could remember, the sight of the Coliseum had brought a feeling of safety and security to Matoran. But now….

Kapura counted slowly as he walked. Six, seven, eight—at least eight of the workers at his factory had vanished lately. Where they disappeared to, and why, no one knew. But there were plenty of rumors.

The Matoran stopped. Something had moved off to the right. It didn't sound like another Matoran, or even a wild Rahi beast. It was a soft, slithering sound, as if something was dragging itself across the ground. The sound grew louder and seemed to multiply. Kapura felt the urge to run, but his feet would not move.

He forced himself to turn around and look. Four thick, blackened, twisted vines were snaking their way out of cracks in the ground, weaving in the air as if momentarily unsure of what to do. Then they wrapped themselves around the empty factory and began to climb, winding around again and again until they covered the building from top to bottom.

The Ta-Matoran knew well that the vines belonged to a collective, blackened, twisted plant that threatened to turn all of Metru Nui into rubble. Matoran did their best to defend their homes and workplaces against this menace that seemed to strike from everywhere at once. The lucky Matoran were able to run to safety…others had vanished completely. The vines had first appeared on the outskirts of Ta-Metru, and quickly drove Matoran away from the shore.

Kapura's eyes widened as the vines started to squeeze around the small factory. Solid protodermis crumbled before their strength. The building groaned and cracked, collapsing in on itself in a matter of seconds. As if satisfied, the vines pulled away and began to move toward another structure.

It was then that Kapura found his voice. But he could speak only one word, and that in a horrified whisper:

"Morbuzakh."

X X X

Toa Lhikan, guardian of the city of Metru Nui, stood in the semi-darkness of the Great Temple. He had come here many times in the past to remember what had gone before and reflect on the future. This had always been a place that had soothed his spirit. But not today.

The errand that had brought him to one of the most revered sites in Metru Nui was one that filled him with sadness and doubt. Many a night he had wondered if there might be some other way, but no other answer presented itself. The city had survived much over the millennia, but never had it seen so dark an hour. Danger and double-cross lurked around every corner in the City of Legends. Finally, he admitted that he had no choice. It had to be done, and done now, before it was too late.

Grimly, Lhikan pried open the Suva. Then he reached in and took the sixth and last Toa Stone off its pedestal. As he had five times before, Toa Lhikan placed the stone on a thin sheet of metallic protodermis in his open palm. Then he clenched his fist, wrapping the sheet tightly around the stone.

Behind his yellow Great Mask of Shielding, Lhikan's eyes narrowed. He knew that he was doing far more than taking valuable objects of power. He was taking a step that would change his life, the lives of six others, and the very future of Metru Nui.

He held his other hand over his closed fist and concentrated. Six streams of energy came from his hand, then merged into a single white lance of power. It flowed over the wrapped Toa stone, then abruptly came to a stop. When Lhikan opened his fist, he saw that the metallic sheet was now sealed around the stone. Imprinted upon it was the symbol of the three virtues of the Matoran: Unity, Duty, and Destiny.

Among the Matoran, little was known about Toa Lhikan's past. It was said he came to Metru Nui from some other place, for reasons that he declined to discuss. He served as the solitary protector of the city for many, many years, and Matoran in every Metru looked up to him. With few threats to Metru Nui, Lhikan was largely kept busy helping the Vahki to capture particularly dangerous Rahi.

However, after the Morbuzakh began attacking the city, Lhikan had become suspicious that there was more going on than might at first appear. His doubts increased when he discovered that two Dark Hunters were searching for him. Knowing he could not elude them for long, he had contrived and enacted his current plan.

Lhikan heard a soft sound behind him and turned quickly. He saw a huge statue head flying right toward him and only somersaulted out of the way in time. He looked at where he had just been standing, noting the statue head that was easily five times as tall as him. He looked back in the direction from which it had come and listened. Instead, his hearing picked up movement from elsewhere in the shadows, where three energy blasts flew out to him. He flipped twice to avoid two, then reflected the third with his Kanohi Hau.

Their surprise now gone, his attackers emerged. Approaching from out of the darkness were two figures, one a four-legged insectoid being with two humanoid arms, the other a hulking brute with a shoulder-mounted cannon. Lhikan knew all too well who they were and why they were here—the Dark Hunters. He was already moving as the insectoid began hurling more energy blasts.

Fleeing was against Lhikan's nature, but he had been a Toa long enough to know it did not pay to challenge impossible odds. He ran, dodging as the two attempted to snare him in energy webs. As they closed in, the Toa of Fire leapt through a window and plunged into space.

The insectoid foe rushed to the window to watch his enemy fall. Instead, he saw Lhikan combine his tools—two fire greatswords—to form a glider board and fly away. Seconds later, the Toa was lost from view.


	2. Chapter 2

Known for its peace and tranquility, Ga-Metru was the spiritual and educational center of Metru Nui. Temples and schools lined the beautiful protodermis canals that ran through the district. Ga-Matoran so loved the atmosphere there that they rarely left the Metru unless they had to, and then their travels normally took them to the relative quiet of the Onu-Metru Archives.

No Matoran who traveled the streets of Ga-Metru or stood on the shore of the silver sea of protodermis ever forgot the experience. Some would even say that one could almost hear the voices of the Great Beings there. Legend had it that this was the second Metru constructed (built after Ta-Metru) and one of the most favored by Mata Nui, the spiritual guardian of the city.

Ga-Metru was evenly divided between teachers and students. In fact, the pursuit of learning was so valued there that the Metru employed Matoran from other districts to take care of many jobs. This freed the Ga-Matoran to focus on their roles as teachers or students.

Ga-Metru schools taught the history of Metru Nui, ancient Matoran dialects, and the science of protodermis, among other things. Students spent time in classrooms and labs, but they also took trips to see interesting carvings or new exhibits in the Archives. The very best students got to work in the Great Temple as protodermis purifiers.

Many Matoran would say that the Great Temple, located in Ga-Metru, was the most important building in Metru Nui, rivaled only by the Coliseum. Built on a spit of land with a long bridge leading to it so that it stood apart from the rest of the Metru, the Great Temple was a haven for those who were troubled and a symbol of hope for all citizens.

The Great Temple was heavily guarded by the city's order enforcement squads, known as Vahki—mechanical beings programmed to preserve order at any cost. Though they would normally allow Matoran to come and go from the site, they would respond swiftly to any signs of disorder there.

Nokama stood near the Great Temple, now, surrounded by her students. As a teacher in the Ga-Metru schools, she knew it was important to get her class out of the classroom now and then, and let them see some of Metru Nui's history for themselves. Using her trident, she pointed out some of the ancient carvings on the walls of the temple. Her dedication and intelligence in her studies quickly elevated herself from the role of student, to laboratory assistant, to researcher, to finally an instructor.

The Ga-Matoran began reading some of the ancient texts, translating them from memory for her students. "Fire, water…"

Behind her, she heard her students gasp. She turned to see Toa Lhikan, the sole guardian of the city. "Guide the others with your wisdom, teacher," he said. Then he approached her, handed her a small package, and flew away on his advanced weaponry.

Nokama shook her head, wondering what it could all mean.

X X X

Walking into Po-Metru was like entering another world. Instead of the tall buildings that marked Ko-Metru and Ta-Metru, one would see a ridge of mountains. Roads were replaced by well-worn pathways of dirt and stone. Rather than spending their work time indoors, most Po-Matoran labored all day in the light of the suns. Only the presence of chutes and the sight of airships hovering in the sky served as reminders that a visitor was still in the city of Metru Nui.

This was the home of the carvers; Po-Matoran were the most talented craftworkers in the city. Here, items made in Ta-Metru were engraved and decorated, larger creations assembled, and great statues were chiseled from blocks of solid protodermis. One main site in Po-Metru was the collective region known as the Fields of Construction. This large, open area was where assorted pieces were assembled into items that could be used all over Metru Nui. Everything from furniture to telescreens to Vahki were built there. The sole exception were transport vehicles, which were manufactured in Le-Metru.

Although the original design for the Vahki had come from an Onu-Matoran, Nuparu, and the parts were forged in Ta-Metru, it was the Po-Matoran who brought these mechanical beings to life. Two separate assembly areas existed for Vahki: one to fit the larger parts together and one to install the clockwork mechanisms into the skull casing. When the work was completed, another coldly efficient order enforcement mechanoid was ready for duty. Being purely mechanical, Vahki could not be "killed," only broken.

Vahki were created with very simple behavior patterns installed. Their job was to maintain order, whether that meant stopping Rahi from rampaging through the city or making sure Matoran stayed on the job during their work shift. Although Vahki were capable of understanding Matoran speech, they communicated only through ultrasonic signals, which (when low enough) came across as gibberish. Turaga Dume's chamber in the Coliseum was fitted with technology that translated these signals into speech.

The hard work behind Po-Metru's crucial and impressive contribution to security took place in the same areas that most other tools and devices were created. These communities were called "assembler's villages." Settlements like this could be found all over Po-Metru. Here, Matoran lived in small shacks and worked at outdoor stations, putting pieces together and doing intricate carving. Due to the fact that these villages were scattered among the mountains and canyons, they could be very dangerous places to live. There were far too many of them for the Vahki to guard effectively, so Rahi could strike and escape long before help could arrive. Po-Matoran spent a great deal of time practicing their Kanoka disk launching so they could better defend themselves.

And it was in one of those assemblers' villages, that a strong-willed, sharp, and stubborn Po-Matoran named Onewa was hard at work finishing a piece of carving. He had been laboring in the heat all day, but hardly noticed the time or the effort. It was all worth it when the work was done and another fine display of craftsmanship was ready to ship out.

Onewa knew that each Po-Matoran crafter in the huts around him felt the same, except perhaps Ahkmou. He was a builder and a carver, very skilled at a number of things but not a master of any. That one seemed more worried about how many honors he would receive than how much work he finished. Of course, he had come in second to Onewa in just about everything his whole life, so at least that kept his arrogance capped.

Something landed with a sharp thud on the ground at Onewa's feet. It was a small package wrapped in what looked like foil. The Po-Matoran looked up just in time to see the departing form of Toa Lhikan. "Builder!" the Toa called over his shoulder. "I'm counting on your courage!" Then he flew off on his glider board.

X X X

Of all the residents of Metru Nui, Onu-Matoran were regarded as the most unusual. Whether they were mining lightstones or working deep in the Archives, they spent much of their lives underground. Other Metru citizens could not understand how they managed to exist like this, but to Onu-Matoran it seemed the most natural thing in the world.

Most Onu-Matoran worked in the Archives, but they did not see it as a job. They loved helping to preserve the history of Metru Nui and would brave any danger to protect the institution. It was very rare that a Vahki had to force an Onu-Matoran to go back to work—given the choice, some would never leave their exhibit halls.

The Onu-Metru Archives were the largest single institution in all of Metru Nui. They encompassed most of the surface of Onu-Metru and extended underground for multiple levels. After years of expansion the Archives now stretched beneath almost all of the city. The massive museum was filled with artifacts and specimens of every Rahi ever found within the city limits. What the Knowledge Towers were to prophecies and written records, the Archives were to everything else. Tools, Kanohi Masks, disks, art objects, and strange and bizarre creatures took up all the available space in the building.

The upper levels of the Archives were open to the public and frequently visited by groups of students from Ga-Metru. The lower levels were restricted and were the site of research and experiments.

By far the most popular attractions in the Archives were the various Rahi on display. These creatures were captured by Vahki and brought to Onu-Metru, where crews of Matoran put them into stasis tubes. These consisted of two separate casings, inner and outer. Once inside, a variation on Kraahu stun gas was used to throw the Rahi into suspended animation.

This was not a perfect system. To keep the Rahi from perishing, the gas used had to be very weak. This meant if the inner case should become cracked, enough air would leak in to awaken the Rahi. More often than not, it would then break free and go on a destructive rampage until it was finally subdued by Vahki Rorzakh. For this reason, great care was taken to make sure Rahi tubes were not damaged in transport.

The nature of the stun gas used also made it difficult to hold extremely large creatures in stasis. These were kept in cages or cells in the sublevels, along with creatures deemed too dangerous to have anywhere near the public levels, regardless of whether they were awake or not. Many Onu-Matoran did their best to avoid being assigned to work on these lower levels.

Once in a while, Matoran encountered strange mutations of known Rahi. A biheaded sea beast was captured by Vahki Bordakh in the previous six months. It had resisted stasis and was being held in a water tank on a sublevel. Nearby was an incredibly huge version of the common Ussal crab, which was probably crossbred with some other monstrous Rahi. It, too, had resisted stasis and was kept locked up.

Beyond these, many of the creatures in the lower levels of the Archives had never been identified by the Onu-Matoran. These included a Rahi that seemed to be made completely of smoke; another that could look like virtually anything, including its cell; a large insectoid that could create a crystalline nest for itself in a matter of moments; and microscopic protodites, that escaped their containment cell long ago and had been loose in the Archives ever since.

Deep in those Archives, Whenua was content. A new shipment of Bohrok had just arrived. Some time ago, Onu-Matoran miners had stumbled upon what seemed to be a nest of insect-like creatures called Bohrok. They were put on display in the public levels, while the organic creatures called Krana who were also found in the nest were held in the lower, secured levels.

Whenua took note that this shipment of Bohrok was a different color than the last batch, and so worth adding to the Archives. As soon as he was done cataloging the creatures, they would be ready to go on exhibit for all Matoran to see. He worked quickly, sorting through the items in a pile of artifacts. Some were slated for immediate exhibit, others would be sent down to the sublevels, and still more were too damaged to be of any use. These would be sent to Ta-Metru to be melted down.

Whenua was so absorbed by his work that he never heard Toa Lhikan's approach. The Toa paused long enough to hand the Onu-Matoran a small object. "Don't archive it, friend," he instructed, then he was gone.

Whenua looked in wonder at the package, whose covering glittered even in the dim light of the Archives.

X X X

Entering Le-Metru was like entering into a dense jungle. The ground was littered with tools and wires that could snag one's feet. Covering much of the Metru was a canopy of tangled cables and chutes that, in some places, almost blocked out the suns. The air was filled with the constant chatter of Le-Matoran hard at work among the chutes. The feeling was one of barely contained chaos.

The Le-Matoran were allowed to have a Metru that was something of a mess because their work was so vital to the city as a whole. Le-Metru was the transport center for Metru Nui. Here chutes and vehicles were built and maintained to ensure the smooth flow of Matoran cargo from one place to another. Without the efforts of Le-Matoran, the tools forged in Ta-Metru could never get to Po-Metru for finishing and the Rahi captured in Ga-Metru would never make it to the Archives.

All of this combined to make the Le-Matoran very brash and confident. They knew how important they were. They liked to make sure that everyone else knew it, too. Le-Matoran worked on three major types of transport: chutes, air vehicles, and ground vehicles. They refused to make boats, because Le-Matoran hated the sea, so any watercraft were created in Ga-Metru.

There were three main ways to get around Metru Nui, but by far, the primary transport system for the city were chutes. Chutes were long cylindrical tubes made of liquid protodermis held in place by a sheath of magnetic energy. Magnetized protodermis flowed through the chutes at high speed, carrying with it Matoran and cargo on their way to and from different Metru. Most chutes ran above ground, in some cases, high above, held aloft by a system of solid protodermis braces. Some ran below the surface to reach different levels of the Archives, but many of the subterranean chutes were in bad repair and too dangerous to use. Few Le-Matoran wanted to go down below to fix them.

Although effective, efficient, and long-standing, no system was perfect. Chutes faced a number of problems. Sometimes portions would physically break off, sending riders flying into open air space. In very old chutes, the braces might be in bad repair and the chute could come crashing to the ground, or else the magnetic energy sheath could weaken and liquid protodermis might leak out.

The second transport option to chutes were air vehicles, though they were typically only used for transporting cargo, not Matoran passengers. Huge vessels floated through the skies, carrying Rahi to Onu-Metru, solid protodermis blocks and tools to Po-Metru, and other bulk items to points around the city. These were slower than chutes, but more protected and safe for cargo. Matoran airships worked thanks to a complicated system of Kanoka levitation disks and increase weight disks. When the pulleys in the cockpit caused the levitation disks to strike the framework, the craft would rise. For landing, a different set of controls and pulleys caused the increase weight disks to strike and the ship would descend. It could take years for a Le-Matoran to master the system and so pilots were highly respected.

The third and final option of transportation were ground vehicles. The two major types of land vehicles in Metru Nui were Ussal carts and Vahki transports. Ussal carts were wagons pulled by tame Rahi called Ussal crabs. Although they sometimes carried passengers for short distances, their relatively low speed generally reserved them for moving equipment.

Vahki transports were much larger vehicles, which were used to ferry large numbers of Vahki from one place to another. Kanoka disks of speed were built into the structure so that the transport could move swiftly. Motive power was provided by insectoid-like legs on both sides of the vehicle. Le-Matoran had been experimenting with the notion of replacing disk power with energy given off by living creatures, but at present could not succeed in making this work.

That sense of innovation in the Matoran of air manifested itself in the Le-Metru Test Track. Matoran were always trying to develop new types of vehicles that would be faster and more efficient. All of them needed to be tested before they could be put into use, so they were brought to the Le-Metru Test Track.

That obstacle course and testing area was where a Le-Matoran named Matau was today.

Matau took a deep breath. This was his favorite part of the job—testing new vehicles before they hit the streets of Le-Metru. He was, naturally, the best qualified to run them around the test track, being the most highly skilled rider in the entire Metru…at least, in his opinion. Matau was a frequent visitor to the track and loved to take new vehicles out and see what they could do. He didn't even mind the spinouts, crashes, and explosions that went with the job!

Today's test vehicle was a one-Matoran moto-sled invented by an Onu-Matoran inventor named Nuparu. He claimed it would someday replace the Ussal crabs that carried cargo to and fro in Metru Nui. Matau was less worried about that than about how fast it could go.

When the signal was given, Matau worked the controls and the machine began to move. Soon it was racing around the Test Track. Matau smiled, certain that he could coax a little more speed out of Nuparu's machine. He reached out, grabbed one of the controls—and it broke off in his hand.

Matau's eyes went wide. _Oh, this is not happy-cheer at all, _he thought.

All around him, pieces of the vehicle were flying off as the vehicle spun madly. Finally, only the control seat remained, with Matau hanging on to keep from being tossed the length of the track. Sparks flew as the lone intact section skidded to a halt, while Matau leaped off at the last possible moment. The Matoran managed not to break anything on his own body upon landing. As he rose to his feet, he saw he was not alone.

Toa Lhikan was standing beside him, offering him a gift. "Don't break it," the Toa chuckled. Then he was gone.

Matau looked at the small, heavy item in his hand. _Truly an ever-strange day, _he said to himself.

X X X

Matoran called Ko-Metru "the quiet Metru." It combined the utter silence of Ga-Metru with the barren feeling of Po-Metru to create an atmosphere that kept even a visiting Le-Matoran's mouth shut. All traveling in Ko-Metru was done in the shadow of the massive, crystalline Knowledge Towers that lined the streets.

Ko-Matoran had a reputation for being as cold and hard as those towers. The truth was that they were simply dedicated to a goal. Virtually every Ko-Matoran hoped one day to work in a Knowledge Tower, so their time was spent studying and learning as much as they could. They had little patience for anyone or anything that distracted them from their studies.

Characteristically, Ko-Metru was the only district that actively feuded with another. Ko-Matoran and Onu-Matoran had been arguing for years over which was more important: studying the past or trying to predict the future. It got so bad that Ko-Matoran once went to Turaga Dume to argue against the expansion of the Archives, and Onu-Matoran have "accidentally" undermined Knowledge Towers once or twice, resulting in the need for lengthy repairs.

Of all the Ko-Matoran, only the Matoran named Matoro enjoyed a good relationship with the Onu-Matoran. He spent much of his time in the Archives, studying different Rahi, trying to master their languages and behavioral patterns. Now and then Matoro came upon small creatures that the Archives were not interested in, and these he traded to other Matoran who were seeking pets in a business known as "Matoro's Rahi."

One of the major discoveries to come out of the Knowledge Towers was the means to create disks from liquid protodermis. Working together with protodermis labs in Ga-Metru, scholars perfected the process, and the Kanoka disk rapidly became a part of daily life in Metru Nui.

Each Knowledge Tower featured extensive library space, living quarters for scholars, observatories to monitor the stars, and special areas where valuable tablets and carvings that detailed ancient prophecies were kept. It was a common outside belief that once they entered the Knowledge Towers, some Ko-Matoran spent their entire lives there, never setting foot outside. In actuality, however, this was only rarely the case.

The Towers of Thought, a special class of Knowledge Tower, were intended for the most important research projects in Ko-Metru. Absolute silence was required of all who entered these structures. A Vahki Keerakh squad was always on patrol nearby to apprehend anyone who disturbed the work of the Ko-Matoran in these towers.

That effort included Rahi, namely, ice bats. These nasty flying creatures perched on the tops of the Knowledge Towers and had resisted all efforts by Ko-Matoran and Vahki to drive them away. While not particularly dangerous to Matoran, they did have a habit of flying into observatories and smashing valuable equipment as they tried to find their way back out. They also posed a hazard to Matoran airships, which was why the vessels tended to avoid passing over Ko-Metru.

One of those studying Ko-Matoran, Nuju, peered through his telescope intently. From his vantage point high atop a Ko-Metru tower, he could see the sky, the stars, Toa Lhikan gliding toward him—

_Toa Lhikan?_

The lone protector of Metru Nui could ride his fire board like a surfboard, and it was modified to be capable of flight. He could often be seen soaring high above the city, but rarely did he make house calls. Lhikan landed softly beside the Ko-Matoran. He handed Nuju a wrapped package, saying, "Follow the map, thinker." Then, secure that the coast was clear, Lhikan leaped from the roof and surfed away on the wind.

Nuju watched him go, wondering what this event might mean for his future.

X X X

If a traveler crossed into Ta-Metru, the first thing they noticed was the heat. It came in waves from hundreds of furnaces and foundries and rivers of molten protodermis, so intense it was almost suffocating to one who was not used to it. The skies were full of steam and smoke vented from the massive, cone-shaped factories. And everywhere, there was the clatter and banging of Ta-Matoran laborers hard at work.

It was no wonder that Matoran from other Metru tried to avoid visiting this place. At the same time, they knew that Ta-Metru was the most important site in the city. It was the district where Masks of Power, tools, disk launchers, and everything else used in Metru Nui were forged from molten protodermis. It was hard work, and a wise being knew not to interrupt a Ta-Matoran while he was doing it: a single, tiny flaw could ruin a day's work and send the item to the scrap heap to be melted down again.

A small number of highly skilled Ta-Matoran earned the privilege of becoming mask makers. They were responsible for creating every Mask of Power in the city, from the ones worn by the Matoran to the Great Masks worn by the Toa.

Ta-Matoran that weren't mask makers became other metal workers, transporters, or some started their own business, like the Matoran Takua. Although not very skilled as a toolmaker, Takua loved to travel more than almost any other Matoran. He was always visiting other Metru and collecting souvenirs. Through a business in his home called "Takua's Trade Goods," he traded these souvenirs for other things he wanted. Unfortunately, he often liked to make his trips during work hours, and the Vahki had to haul him back.

Those that did become mask makers used Kanoka disks to make the masks. There were two methods used to make Kanohi masks. In the older of the two methods, a Matoran would take a disk, melt it down, and pour the molten protodermis into a mask mold. After it cooled, it was removed from the mold and any flaws were pounded out by the mask maker. A skilled crafter might spend many days at his forge trying to get a mask just right.

Or, the mask maker could combine two or more Kanoka disks into one. He then would carve the Kanohi from the disk using a mask-making tool, which resembled a small electronically powered torch. Combining Kanoka disks allowed the mask maker to create new mask powers. For example, combining a Kanoka disk of the enlarge power and a disk with the regenerate power resulted in a Mask of Shielding.

After a mask was done, it might go to any one of a number of places. If it was a Noble Mask or a Great Mask, it was sent to Ga-Metru and placed in the Great Temple. If it was a Matoran mask, it was sent to Po-Metru for finishing and distribution. If the mask was flawed in some way, it was sent to the protodermis reclamation yard in Ta-Metru to be melted down. Meanwhile, all other goods made in Ta-Metru were shipped to Po-Metru, where carvers and other workers readied them for use.

Vakama, one of the most skilled mask makers in all of Ta-Metru, carefully moved a Kanoka disk from his worktable into the fires of the forge. He watched intently as the flames softened the disk. When he felt the time was right, he removed it from the heat and began to shape it with his firestaff. He smoothed the rough edges of the disk, added eyeholes, and then paused to look at the Mask of Power he had created.

Far below him, a pool of molten protodermis bubbled and hissed. This was the raw material that was fed into the forge to be shaped into disks, and later into masks, if the grade of disk was high enough. All around was a series of interlocking catwalks, with a great crane suspended above the center of the molten vat.

Vakama held the mask up to the light and searched for flaws in the workmanship. Finding none, he placed it on his face. Given that it was a Great Mask, he knew he would not be able to access its powers, but he could at least get a sense of whether it was active. But when he donned it, it merely glowed dimly before flickering out.

Disgusted, Vakama took it off and threw it on top of a huge pile of similar masks. At the rate he was going, his stack of failures would soon be taller than he was. Shaking his head, he turned to see Toa Lhikan standing before him.

"Making Great Masks, Vakama?" asked the Toa.

Vakama took a step backward and stumbled. "Toa Lhikan! Um, not yet…but with the right disk…"

"But first the city needs your help," said Lhikan, reaching behind him to retrieve something. A moment later Vakama saw it was a small package wrapped in a shiny material.

"My help?" the Ta-Matoran said, taking another step backward. He bumped into the discard pile, causing the rejected masks to clatter to the floor.

"Matoran are vanishing," Lhikan continued urgently. "Deceit lurks in the shadows of Metru Nui."

"Toa—so dramatic."

Both Lhikan and Vakama turned at the voice, but saw nothing. Lhikan turned back to Vakama, crouching to speak eye-level with the Matoran. "Keep it safe," the Toa whispered, tightening Vakama's hands around the package. "Keep it secret. Get to the Great Temple."

The Matoran went to put the stone under a pile of Kanoka disks next his stack of masks. Just as the Kanoka covered it, one of the masks moved! A large, green, four-legged, insectoid creature stood inside the foundry. "Always playing the hero," the creature hissed.

"Some of us take our duty seriously, Nidhiki," growled Lhikan.

Nidhiki raised his claws. "This time your farewell will be forever, brother."

"You lost the right to call me brother long ago," retorted the Toa of Fire angrily.

Nidhiki spat blasts of dark energy. Lhikan narrowly evaded them, but one surge of energy struck the support for the catwalk, shearing through it. Lhikan was considering his next move when there came a crash from above. He looked up to see a mammoth form falling toward him.

"Time's up, Toa!" bellowed the plummeting figure.

Nidhiki smiled as his bestial partner, Krekka, crashed onto the catwalk beside Lhikan. What Krekka lacked in brains, he more than made up for in brute strength. Most of the time, just his presence was enough to frighten someone into doing whatever Nidhiki wanted. His destructive ways could make him seem like a wild Rahi in a Knowledge Tower at times.

Immediately, the Toa and Krekka began to grapple. Krekka's size and strength gave him the edge, but in Lhikan he faced the veteran of a thousand conflicts. The Toa waited for the right moment, then sidestepped and used his foe's force against him. With one smooth motion, Lhikan tossed him over the side of the catwalk.

Krekka might not have been the brightest being in Metru Nui, but even he knew what would happen if he landed in the vat of molten protodermis. His hand shot out and grabbed onto the edge of the catwalk, and he began to pull himself back up.

Lhikan glanced toward Vakama. The Matoran had been watching the struggle, so frozen with shock that he had not noticed the damage done by Nidhiki's earlier blast. But Lhikan could see that the catwalk on which Vakama stood was about to collapse.

"Vakama! Move!" he shouted.

It was already too late. Metal groaned and snapped and the catwalk broke free of its supports, sending Vakama sliding toward a molten doom. Ignoring the threat of Nidhiki, Lhikan jumped to the broken platform and grabbed hold of the Matoran.

Nidhiki's eyes narrowed. "Compassion was always your weakness, brother," he said.

Lhikan struggled to haul Vakama back up to relative safety. Then he suddenly felt himself seized and lifted into the air. The Toa turned to see that Krekka had taken control of the crane, and it was that which now dangled Lhikan and Vakama over the bubbling vat. "It's swim time!" he snarled.

Krekka shifted the controls and began to lower the crane toward the vat. Lhikan summoned all his strength, and hoisted Vakama high so the Matoran could grab onto the clawlike end of the crane. "Don't let go," the Toa ordered.

"Wasn't planning to," Vakama replied.

That had been the easy part. Now Toa Lhikan started to swing his body back and forth like a pendulum, trying to build up enough force to execute his only possible plan. He didn't think about what would happen if he failed, or about the molten substance waiting below—his entire focus was on the timing and speed of his swing.

At the crucial moment, Lhikan let go of the crane and went sailing through the air. He landed on top of the machine's cab, much to the surprise of the brute. Before his foe could react, Lhikan had shouldered him aside and stopped the crane's descent.

The Toa had no chance to celebrate his triumph. An energy web launched by Nidhiki wrapped around Lhikan, trapping him. As he struggled in vain to escape, his eyes locked on the Matoran.

"Vakama, the Great Spirit depends on you!" he cried. "Save the heart of Metru Nui! It's destiny rests in your hands!"

Nidhiki's partner released an arc of dark energy that bound the Toa's hands, but Vakama could no longer see. His mind had been overtaken by a vision of the future….

_Time slowing, slowing, almost coming to a stop. A face coming closer, but obscured by waves of elemental energy. Now it became clearer it was Lhikan…but twisted and distorted…and behind him, a pair of red eyes that radiated pure evil… _

The horrifying sight snapped Vakama out of his trance, but left him weak and trembling. He glanced around dazedly, and was just in time to see Lhikan being dragged off by the two assailants. "Time is short!" yelled Lhikan. "Stop the darkness!"

Then he was gone.

"No!" Vakama shouted. For, in truth, there was nothing else he could do. "It's all my fault," he murmured to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

Near the Fountains of Wisdom in Ga-Metru, scores of Matoran looked up at a massive screen. The wise, benevolent mask of Turaga Dume, elder of the city, gazed down upon them. None paid any attention to the transport that crawled by on insectoid legs. Driven by Vahki Bordakh, the order enforcement squads of Ga-Metru, it carried several large, silver spheres.

"Matoran of Metru Nui," Dume began, his voice and image carried all over the city. "It is with deep sorrow that I must inform you of the disappearance of our beloved Toa Lhikan; the last remaining member of the Toa Mangai is no longer with us."

In Ko-Metru, Ta-Metru, and all around the city, Matoran gasped. Those who attempted to approach the screen, or turn away from it, were stopped by Vahki squads.

"But with the help of the Vahki," Dume continued, "order shall be maintained. Trust in me and soon all your concerns will be laid to rest."

X X X

The Turaga's words felt like hot irons to Vakama. Back in his forge, he was looking at the package Lhikan had given to him. "What is this…?" he murmured softly, examining it. "Toa Lhikan…I failed you," he said sadly. Then he realized, "Without you, we have no Toa! Who will protect us now?"

Although no Dark Hunters had ever been spotted before in Metru Nui, whispers of their existence had reached the ears of Matoran from other places and lands. Members of the organization known as Dark Hunters were said to be as powerful as Toa, but they were far from being heroes. They would take any job, no matter how evil or destructive, if the reward was great enough. The presence of Dark Hunters in the city was a certain sign of much greater damage to come.

_And with the Morbuzakh on top of that… _Vakama sighed. "I should've _done_ something!"

The Ta-Matoran undid the foil wrapping to find he was holding a stone which glowed a fiery red light. He picked it up and shook it lightly in minimal enthusiasm before setting it back down. It was then he noticed the writing on the metal wrapping, but before he could examine it more closely—

"You should not blame yourself, Vakama."

The Matoran turned to see Turaga Dume entering, flanked by a squad of Po-Metru Vahki, called Zadakh. A good mask-height taller than Vakama, Dume radiated wisdom and a paternal feeling for all Matoran. But the Vahki close by were a constant reminder that Dume was the authority in Metru Nui and his words were to be obeyed.

Turaga Dume had been a wise and just elder of Metru Nui for as long as any Matoran could remember. Under his leadership, the chute system was constructed, the Vahki order enforcement squads were created, and the Archives expanded to their present size. He was admired and respected by Matoran everywhere. Though his elemental affiliation was that of fire, all Matoran felt comfortable around him, and his Kanohi Kiril, the Noble Mask of Regeneration, could help repair damaged tools and structures that weren't too complicated.

Dume looked around at the chaos left in the wake of Lhikan's struggle with the Dark Hunters. "You are a mask-maker, not a Toa," he said gently.

Vakama nodded. While Dume was looking away, he slipped the package and its wrapping onto the already cluttered table behind him. Certain it was well hidden, he went to get a chair for Dume, only to get his feet tangled and stumble to the ground.

"I have come for the Mask of Time," said Turaga Dume. The Turaga had begun giving Vakama special jobs in the past few years. But more recently, Dume had begun hinting that some great disaster was heading for Metru Nui. While he would not explain its full nature, it had worried him enough that he went to Vakama to ask for the creation of a powerful Mask of Time.

Vakama scrambled to his feet. Crafting the Kanohi Vahi was quite the project, but he still didn't like having nothing to show. "Yes, ah, well…I am sorry, Turaga." He fumbled for something to show, only coming up with the unimpressive mask he had finished from earlier. "It's not yet ready. Great Masks take time to craft."

"Perhaps you are using inferior disks." Dume reached over the tool table, his hand hovering over Lhikan's object for a moment before examining a spare Kanoka.

Vakama knew that wasn't true. He had forged an intermittent (if remote) business relationship with a Po-Matoran named Huki. Huki was the most skilled disk maker in all of Po-Metru, and his Kanoka were considered the best for use in sport, available at his business, "Huki's Disks." This had forced Turaga Dume to create a rule that players from other Metru could not use Po-Metru disks in citywide tournaments. Especially on large projects like this, Vakama knew he could spare no expense; he had purchased the best disks he could find from all Metru for this delicate task. "l use the finest quality available, Turaga. Only Great Disks are more pure…but they can only be retrieved by a Toa."

Dume turned away. "Of course. It's a pity Toa Lhikan is not here to help."

Vakama turned and bumped the table, knocking the Lhikan's parcel off. Only swift movement let him catch it and conceal it again before Dume turned back to him. "Bring the completed mask to the Coliseum before the great contest," the Turaga ordered, handing Vakama the Kanoka he had been inspecting. The Ta-Matoran hadn't had a good grip on it when the exchange was made, and fumbled it, nearly dropping it. A save from embarrassment, Vakama was glad he was able to catch it in one hand, with the failed mask still in his other. "The destiny of Metru Nui rests in your hands," Dume said, as parting encouragement.

Vakama allowed himself a sigh of relief as the Turaga and his Vahki departed. "That's what Toa Lhikan said," Vakama said to himself. As soon as his visitors were out of sight, he went back to the metal wrapping. On closer examination he could see the writing on it was a detailed map—a map of a place every Matoran knew well. "The Great Temple…." Vakama whispered.

X X X

As soon as he was able, Vakama slipped away and journeyed to Ga-Metru. The Great Temple was a public place, but also a sacred one—Matoran typically didn't enter without good reason. The building was a large dome with a flat roof, surrounded by four slender pillars. The Ga-Matoran and Vahki Bordakh guards on the bridge leading to the temple gave him questioning looks, but didn't stop him.

Also because of its importance, Vakama hadn't been to the Great Temple hardly at all, that he could remember. Now, he walked in wonder on the ground floor of the large building, looking up at the ceiling and turning in a circle to take in all the sights.

He stumbled awkwardly into something hard, causing him to jump and turn.

Matau looked Vakama up and down and said, "Fire-spitter? Did you wrong-turn?"

Vakama noticed a glowing stone in the Le-Matoran's hand. "You tell me," he replied, opening his hand to reveal the stone he carried.

The sound of a large door closing caused the two to turn. Nokama was coming down the steps from one of the entrances and showed that she, too, had a stone. "Well," she began in explanation, "Toa Lhikan summoned me."

Nuju came out from behind a structure and said, "Me too."

Onewa and Whenua also gathered with the others.

"It seems we are all recipients of Toa Lhikan's gifts. All similar, yet each unique," noted Nokama.

"Like us!" said Matau, smiling. "All Matoran—some just more handsome than the rest."

Whenua shook his head. "Who's ever heard of Matoran getting summoned to the Great Temple like this?"

"What will be asked of us?" added Nuju. "We are all just…strangers."

"Some stranger than others," said Onewa, elbowing Vakama.

Nokama gave the Po-Matoran a sharp look. "Your negativity pollutes this sanctuary, builder."

"Save the lessons for your class, teacher," Onewa spat back.

Their argument was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a stone shrine, which rose out of the floor in front of them. "The Toa Suva!" exclaimed Vakama. Deep within the Great Temple lay the Toa Suva, a round stone structure said to be the source of Toa energies.

"When Toa realize their full potential, this Suva shrine grants them their elemental powers," Whenua recited from memory.

Nokama approached the Suva, causing one of the sides to glow. On each of its six sides was the symbol of each Metru. She hesitantly placed her stone in an opening in the symbol, designed to hold the mysterious artifact. In response, the center of the Suva activated, shooting a faded beam of light upward.

The other Matoran followed the teacher's example, stepping forward and placing their stones in their Metrus' niches in the Suva. With each stone, the beam became stronger in intensity. The temple chamber shook as if a great earthquake had struck the city. Then, as suddenly as they began, the tremors came to a stop.

The six Matoran looked at one another, bewildered, as the image of Toa Lhikan's mask appeared in the energy beam. The yellow Kanohi Hau hovered in the air. "Faithful Matoran, Metru Nui needs you," the Hau said, speaking in Lhikan's voice. "A shadow threatens its heart. Prove yourselves worthy Toa to combat this threat. And fear not…the Great Spirit shall guide you in ways you could not imagine."

The mask glowed blindingly bright. The Matoran staggered backward as beams of energy shot from the mask, bathing them in unimaginable power. The Matoran began to glow, then change. Their bodies grew taller and stronger, armor forming where none had been before. Their masks transformed from the simple Kanohi of Matoran into Great Masks of Power.

The hovering mask, now a bright ball of light, suddenly winked out. No sign of its presence remained, not even the stones.

Moments before, they had been Matoran. Six strangers, each from a different Metru, brought together by a plea for help from Toa Lhikan, the hero of Metru Nui. Now, in the heart of the Great Temple in Ga-Metru, they had been transformed. Where once six Matoran had stood, there now existed six new Toa Metru.

The former denizens looked at themselves and each other in awe. "Are we…Toa?" asked Onewa, excitement in his voice.

"If we appear to be Toa-heroes, then we _are_ Toa-heroes!" answered Matau.

Whenua, once an archivist in Onu-Metru and now a Toa of Earth, shook his head and voiced the thoughts of them all. "Since when are Matoran just zapped into Toa?" he asked, admiring his new layers of armor.

Nuju, former seer and now Toa of Ice, suggested, "When uncertain times lie ahead." The telescope attached to his Kanohi mask looked the others up and down in amazement.

"Those must have been Toa Stones," Nokama realized, looking back at where they had placed their stones into the Suva seconds ago.

Onewa was looking himself up and down, pausing for a moment as he held his hands out in front of him. "The Toa Stones we brought here," he agreed. "That was what did it. It must be."

Nokama nodded, adding on, "Very little is known about them, except that they have the potential to bring about new Toa—in our case, transformation from Matoran."

Vakama, not so long ago Ta-Metru's most skilled mask maker and now the new Toa of Fire, looked down at his new form. It was hard to believe that this new power had been granted to him. _But are we ready for this? Am I? _Vakama asked himself, hesitant to celebrate. He didn't have an answer.

Onewa looked around. "Now all we need are—"

As if in answer, the sides of the raised suva fell away to reveal a cache of Toa tools. "These!" shouted Matau, Toa Metru of Air.

The six new Toa rushed over to select their equipment.

Onewa grabbed a pair of proto pitons, swinging them about. "Now this is a Toa tool! Hyah!" he shouted, clanking one against the stone floor.

Nuju wordlessly took a pair of twin crystal spikes, admiring them as he affixed them to his forearms. He also could hold them on more conventional hilts.

Whenua picked up two earthshock drills. Spinning one at lower power, he chuckled, "I've always wanted one of these."

Nokama, Toa Metru of Water, chose a pair of hydroblades, spinning the heads of the weapons around her body. "Such perfect balance!" she marveled.

Vakama pondered for a moment, looking over what remained before taking a powerful Kanoka disk launcher for himself. It was a larger, more potent version of what he had used in the past to play the sport of Akilini. Rather than one sleek and flat body, this launcher was frayed at the end, looking more like a kind of crossbow, and the flames that spread on the metallic design of the tool made him think of Ta-Metru. The familiarity of it made him feel a little more comfortable in his new body.

"Nice choice…for playing Matoran games, mask-maker," chuckled Matau. Then he went back to practicing with his aero slicers. He executed a series of rapid maneuvers with the sharp tools, shouting, "Oh yeah!" Halfway through a particularly complicated exercise, one of the blades flew from his hand and narrowly missed hitting the new Toa Metru of Water.

"Need I remind you," snapped Nokama, "this is about honoring our responsibilities to the Great Spirit?"

"Nokama is right," agreed Whenua.

"So we are all Toa now…but why? And why us?" Nokama asked.

Matau stood tall, holding his arms outstretched above him. "Who cares _why_?" he smiled. "We are Toa-heroes now!"

"Hey, look at this," Onewa, the new Toa Metru of Stone, said. He reached into the tool compartment and emerged with six Kanoka disks. Each was a different color, and each bore the likeness of a Mask of Power. But what drew the attention of the new heroes was that the masks matched the ones they now wore.

"What does it mean?" asked Nokama.

"Perhaps that we were not chosen at random for this?" Vakama suggested. "Perhaps this is our destiny."

"But what is our destiny?" asked Whenua. "Mask-maker, you saw Toa Lhikan last, right?"

When Vakama nodded, Nuju said, "What did he say we could expect? What are we meant to do now that we are Toa?" Nokama and Onewa drew in closer, anxious to hear the answer as well.

Hesitantly, Vakama took a step forward. "He said…" the Toa Metru of Fire whispered.

"Speak up, fire-spitter!" said Onewa.

"He told me to stop the darkness…that I had to save the heart of Metru Nui," Vakama replied. "Then the Dark Hunters took him away…it was because of me." Vakama stopped speaking. His thoughts had turned inward as another vision of darkness overtook him and his mind moved somewhere else.

_Shadows criss-crossed the landscape as day was being consumed by night. Vakama was leading a group of figures toward Metru Nui, when there was a bright flash. It illuminated a city in ruins! Stunned, Vakama moved forward, only to see the city suddenly restored before his eyes._

_Six Kanoka Disks flew toward him from out of the darkness. Vakama ducked and dodged to avoid being struck, but the disks were not trying to harm him. Instead, they shot past him, then hovered in the air and unleashed their power on the Morbuzakh plant. Before their energies, the plant withered and died. _

"Metru Nui…the whole city…will fall…" Vakama muttered unknowingly, away from the others. "The Great Disks…the Great Disks can save it…"

_Their task done, the Great Disks merged together to form one single, huge disk of immense power, before bursting brilliantly into—_

Then Vakama was back with the other Toa. Though the vision was gone, he was still shielding his eyes from the flash of light.

Nokama was the first to approach and breach his discomfort. "What is it, Vakama? What's wrong?"

"I had a vision, Nokama," the new Toa of Fire breathed, hesitant to share. "I saw Metru Nui in waste…and then replenished, through the power of the six Great Disks."

Onewa looked at him and said, "All that smelting must have cooked his head."

"l saw it!" Vakama said frantically. The chill inside Vakama told him it had not just been an idle daydream. "Metru Nui was _destroyed_! The six Great Kanoka Disks were headed right for me, and…"

"Thanks for dream-sharing," said Matau, making no effort to keep the doubt out of his voice while he shook his head.

"No, we must find them. They can defeat the Morbuzakh and free the city from danger," insisted Vakama. "Finding them would prove to Turaga Dume we are worthy to be Toa Metru!"

The Toa looked at Vakama, some doubtful, some evidently willing to believe. "We've all heard tales of the Great Disks before," said Whenua.

Onewa shook his head and walked over. "Sure, everyone knows the legends and tales of the Great Disks…" He glanced at Vakama. "…but that might be all they are…stories."

Vakama sounded more sure now. "Perhaps. But can we afford to take that chance? This is our destiny…it's why we were made Toa!"

"It _is _said that they contain enormous power," Whenua continued. "And according to ancient legend, one Great Disk is hidden in each Metru."

If the disks were used by someone with good intent, they could change the world for the better. If their user was evil, Metru Nui and all its inhabitants might be erased forever. "Then find them we shall," said Nokama.

"So…we go on a scavenger hunt because a fire-spitter stood too long in front of his forge?" sneered Onewa.

"Visions can be a sign of madness, yes," answered Nokama. "Or messages from the Great Spirit. But as Toa, we cannot afford to ignore them." When no one spoke, she continued. "Then it is agreed. Each will recover the Great Disk from our own Metru and present it to Turaga Dume. He will know what to do."

"But where to start?" asked Nuju.

"I saw a carving in the temple that might help us," said Nokama. She led them to another portion of the temple to read it. "It says something about finding the Great Disks by seeking the unfamiliar within the familiar. But the rest seems to be…riddles. What do you think, Vakama?"

_But the Toa of Fire was not listening. In his mind's eye, he saw six Matoran, each with a Great Disk. He knew their names but could not see their faces. Worse, the shadows behind them were alive with danger. Vakama could see a pair of fierce red eyes hovering in the darkness and a four-legged creature stalking the Matoran. He had seen that figure and his partner before, in real life, struggling with Toa Lhikan. Vakama knew how powerful and evil this being was, and the memory made him shudder. _

"Nuhrii the crafter…Orkahm the driver…Vhisola the student…Ahkmou the carver…Ehrye the messenger…and Tehutti the archivist," Vakama muttered. "They can decipher the riddles. They can help us find the Great Disks. But beware of a Dark Hunter who walks on four legs, and a lumbering brute as his partner."

"I'm saying it again," answered Onewa. "Your head needs cooling down."

"I trust Vakama," Nokama defended. "If he believes those six Matoran can help us find the disks, then we must seek them out. When we have found them, we will meet back here. Good luck to us all."

Onewa looked at Vakama and muttered, "l'm doing this for Lhikan. No one else."

_If my vision is true, _thought Vakama, _we will need far, far more than luck. _

The new Toa Metru quickly said their farewells and went their separate ways. Armed with the names, they set out to find the Matoran. They thought the job would be an easy one…they were wrong.

Only Nokama and Vakama remained behind, staring up at the Great Temple. Onewa didn't trust Vakama's visions, but all the Toa knew the city was in great danger. For weeks, Morbuzakh vines had appeared as if from nowhere, leaving a trail of destruction…worse, Matoran sent to stop the Morbuzakh had vanished, never to be seen again.

"Vakama, do you really think Metru Nui is in danger?" Nokama asked. "I mean…perhaps from something more frightening than the Morbuzakh?"

"I know there is darkness coming," Vakama replied. "Toa Lhikan said we had to stop it. He said we had to save the 'heart of the city.' I don't know how or why, but we have been chosen."

"Then may the Great Beings protect us all," said the Toa of Water.


	4. Chapter 4

In another section of the city, another Matoran was also thinking about the dreaded Morbuzakh plant. The vines had been appearing on the outskirts of the city for some time, wrecking structures and forcing residents to flee. No one knew where they came from or how to stop them. All that was known was that everyone who challenged the Morbuzakh vanished, never to be seen again.

But this particular Matoran wasn't worried about the damage the plant was causing. Instead, all their attention was focused on a tablet decorated with a most interesting carving. The picture showed the combined power of six disks defeating a gigantic Morbuzakh root.

Disks—called 'Kanoka' in the Matoran language—were a common sight in Metru Nui. Kanoka were round disks of protodermis, each with a special power. Each disk was stamped with a symbol of the Metru in which it was made and a three-digit code. The first digit related to the Metru in which the disk was made, the second to the disk's power, and the third to the power level.

The Metru in which it was made determined the flight characteristics of the disk:

Ta-Metru disks were stronger, and could knock obstacles out of the way en route to a target.

Ga-Metru disks could change direction in mid-air, guided by the thrower's thoughts.

Ko-Metru disks could dodge obstacles, mobile or not, to get to their target.

Le-Metru disks flew farther than other disks, making them ideal for long range targeting.

Po-Metru disks could deflect other disks from their course.

Onu-Metru disks always returned to the thrower if the projectile was diverted from its course.

Any of those Kanoka could have one of eight basic, raw Kanoka disk powers:

Reconstitute at random: Temporarily scrambled the molecules of the target, resulting in a new shape.

Freeze: Covered the target with a thick coating of ice.

Weaken: Reduced the strength of a living or nonliving target; could be used to bring down structures.

Removes poison: Cured the effects of toxic substances.

Enlarge: Caused the target to grow in size. The rate of growth was tied to the power level of the disk.

Shrink: Caused the target to reduce in size. The rate of shrinkage was tied to the power level of the disk.

Regenerate: Could be used to repair a target, normally a structure or piece of equipment.

Teleport: Transports target to another location. The range of teleportation was tied to the power level of the disk.

During the disk-making process, multiple Kanoka could be combined to form disks with totally new powers. In some cases, disk makers knew what the combinations will results in. Other times, it was a case of trial and error.

Kanoka had many uses. First, Disks were used in all sorts of games in Metru Nui, including disk surfing, chute boarding, and Kanoka Toss, but mostly, Akilini. The game was said to have been invented by Kodan, the Po-Matoran Chronicler of Metru Nui. Numerous legends arose about how he first came up with the idea or how he first set up a crude Akilini field in a Po-Metru canyon. However, over the years other Metru insisted that the idea for the sport actually came from one of their Matoran. In the resulting confusion, no one was really certain anymore who deserved the honor. After Kodan disappeared and was presumed deceased, a monument was erected to him in Po-Metru giving him credit for the invention.

Second, Matoran used the disks to fight off wild Rahi beasts and other threats as the preferred and conventional projectile weapon. Of course, this power came with responsibility, too. Despite the extreme scarcity of physical violence on Metru Nui, Matoran with serious disagreements were known to engage in disk dueling. Standing on opposite sides of an Akilini field, Matoran threw disks at each other, with the first one to strike the other winning. Unfortunately, depending on the disks used, these duels could have very serious repercussions: one Matoran was reduced to such a small size that he was never found, while another was transformed by a Reconstitute at Random disk into something so grotesque that she nearly ended up on exhibition as a Rahi in the Archives. In Metru Nui, disk dueling was highly illegal and guaranteed to bring prompt action from the Vahki.

Thirdly and lastly, Kanohi Masks of Power were made from Kanoka disks. Kanoka with power levels 1 to 6 were made into Matoran masks, because the power leeched away during the mask-making process. Power level 7 disks were made into Noble Masks of Power. Power level 8 disks were made into Great Masks of Power like a Toa would wear. Only six power level 9 disks were known to exist—the Great Disks.

Kanoka disks were made by pouring purified liquid protodermis into special molds. Often this process was repeated several times before the disk was pronounced done. The nature and level of the disk's power was determined by the properties of the protodermis used, its purity, and the skill of the Matoran making it. Even after all this time, Matoran were still unable to predict just how powerful a disk would be or what power it would have.

In addition to being launched and thrown, Kanoka disks were also built into many devices in Metru Nui. Disks with synthetic powers of levitation and increase weight were incorporated into Le-Matoran airships, and disks of speed into some ground vehicles. Some newer buildings even had disks of regeneration built into them, so that with the tug of a chain any damage to the structure could be instantly repaired.

The Matoran reading the tablet knew all of this basic information about Kanoka, of course, but the disks in the carving they studied could not simply be any old Kanoka, the Matoran knew. These had to be the six Great Disks of legend.

Under the picture of each Great Disk was inscribed the section of the city where it could be found and the name of a Matoran: Nuhrii, Ahkmou, Vhisola, Tehutti, Ehrye, and Orkahm. When they were done examining the carving, the Matoran turned to Nidhiki, the strange, four-legged being who had brought it. He had first appeared in Metru Nui shortly after the Morbuzakh began menacing Matoran. "What is it I'm supposed to do?" the Matoran asked.

"l would think it would be obvious," hissed Nidhiki from the shadows. "Get the six Great Disks. I don't care how. Then give them to me and I will take them somewhere…safe."

The Matoran frowned. "If they truly exist, these are the six most powerful Kanoka disks in Metru Nui. They would be beyond price. What do I get out of this?"

"You will be well paid, Matoran," Nidhiki replied, smiling in a particularly nasty way. "Plus you get one more benefit, if you're successful: I won't come looking for you."

"Alright, alright. I get the idea. But why is this so important? Even if these Matoran could get their hands on the Great Disks, they wouldn't dare try to stop the Morbuzakh themselves."

"It's not Matoran we're worried about," came the answer. "It's so-called heroes—Toa Metru. Six Toa Metru."

With that, Nidhiki was gone. The Matoran watched him go, thinking, _Six Toa Metru? How is that possible?_

X X X

Toa Nokama turned from the Great Temple and began walking farther into Ga-Metru, passing the familiar sights of purification equipment on the way.

The city of Metru Nui rested on a sea of silver liquid known as protodermis. With no fresh- or saltwater anywhere in the city, this was what the Matoran viewed as the "stuff of life." It was the source of almost everything constructed in the city.

Protodermis came in three known types:

Liquid protodermis, such as that in the sea, which had to be purified before it could be used for creation.

Solid protodermis, mined in Onu-Metru and used for works of art and building materials. Every building in the city was made of solid protodermis.

Energized protodermis, the rarest form. Its origins remained a mystery. Onu-Metru miners had stumbled upon small amounts of this substance, which seemed to have the ability to cause radical changes to life-forms immersed in it. Although samples of this had been provided to Ga-Metru schools for study, no one had yet succeeded in discovering its properties or duplicating it. Like raw liquid protodermis, energized protodermis was silver in color, though it glowed more vibrantly.

Liquid protodermis was drawn into Ga-Metru from the sea via a channel, which passed into the Great Temple. There all purification work was done by a special group of Ga-Matoran. While a few read passages in an ancient Matoran dialect asking for the protection and aid of Mata Nui, the others supervised the rapid heating and cooling of the liquid to remove impurities. When the process was finished, the protodermis had turned clear and taken on a bluish color. It could be used for nutritious uses in this form.

From the Great Temple, protodermis traveled in different directions. Some was directed over the falls in Ga-Metru and into the canals, which wound through other parts of the city and dumped their contents into a subterranean pipe system. Other protodermis was passed through pipes and superheated on its way to the foundries of Ta-Metru, to be used in the creation of masks, tools, and other items. Molten protodermis that went unused was allowed to return to the sea.

On Nokama's walk through the Metru, all was quiet. This was traditionally the most peaceful section of Metru Nui, home to scholars and scientists. Often the only sound that could be heard was the rush of the protodermis falls.

Ga-Matoran passed her on the street, looking up with awe and wonder. Some were old friends, but no one seemed to recognize her. When she did stop someone and say hello, the Matoran shied away from her and scurried off.

Nokama frowned. She had never nursed any dreams of becoming a Toa. She enjoyed her life as a teacher in Ga-Metru, gaining new wisdom each day and passing it on to others. Her happiest moments had been spent in a classroom or showing her students the ancient carvings at the protodermis fountains. Now that she was a "hero," she was starting to realize what a lonely role it could be. She took the role seriously, and was sure she could be a good Toa, but wasn't quite certain she would ever get used to the demands of being a heroine.

_At least my very first task will not be a hard one, _she thought. _Vhisola will gladly help me. _

As she walked along the canals past the beautiful temples of Ga-Metru, she remembered when she had first met her friend. Vhisola had been a student in one of Nokama's classes. The Ga-Matoran had been eager to learn, almost too eager. In her enthusiasm, she always seemed to make some mistake or other. Then she would get flustered and make another and another, until her project was a mess.

Eventually, Nokama realized that if she spent extra time with Vhisola, the Matoran did better work. They became best friends and still were, even if sometimes it was a stormy friendship. The more time they spent together, the more time Vhisola wanted to spend. If Nokama said she was too busy to practice Akilini or explore the canals that day, Vhisola would sulk. She would also become particularly jealous if Nokama spent time with any other friends.

Their last argument had been a bad one, but Nokama was certain they had patched things up. Certainly Vhisola would not hesitate to help if she knew the fate of the city depended upon it.

Nokama rapped on the door of Vhisola's small home. No one answered. When she rapped again, one of the neighbors, Amaya, emerged and said, "Who are you?"

"I'm—" Nokama began, then hesitated. If she gave her name, she would probably have to give a long explanation of why she was no longer a Matoran. Instead, she replied, "I'm the Toa of Water. Have you seen Vhisola?"

"A Toa? Here?" said Amaya excitedly. "l know of Toa Lhikan, of course, but I have never met a Toa up close. Where did you come from? Are you here to stay?"

"Please, just answer my question. Have you seen Vhisola today?"

The Ga-Matoran shook her head. "No, not lately. Is she in some trouble?"

"I hope not," Nokama said. She tried the door, but it was locked. Still, she was now a Toa, and much stronger than before. A little bit of force and the door flew open.

Although they had known each other a long time, Nokama had never been inside Vhisola's home. Now she saw why. Every inch of the walls was covered with carvings of Nokama, records of her achievements, copies of awards she had won. There was nothing in the room to say that Vhisola even lived there.

Once the shock had passed, Nokama began to look around for any sign of where Vhisola might have gone. Her eye was caught by lights flashing on a table. Coming closer, she saw that the lights were part of a map of Ga-Metru. Certain sections lit up, flashed for an instant, then went dark again. With no better idea, Nokama moved her hand from section to section as they lit, hoping to find a pattern.

There was a sound of stone grinding against stone. Then the center of the map opened up and a tablet rose from inside the table. Nokama picked it up and saw it was Vhisola's journal. She almost put it back—then she remembered the real fear in Vakama's face when he spoke of his visions. If Metru Nui was in danger, Nokama could not afford to ignore any possible clue.

She scanned the last few entries and found nothing of note. But the last left her numb with fear. It read: "At first, I couldn't believe it when I heard Nokama was a Toa. Now that she is a hero, she will never have any time for me. I've spent so much time practicing my Akilini and trying to do better schoolwork, all to impress her…and now she will just want to spend time with her new Toa friends. Well, I'll show her. Once I get my hands on that Great Disk, I'll be the one people have to look up to. She will be the one they ignore!"

_She knows I am a Toa? How…? Oh, Vhisola, _Nokama said to herself, _I never meant to ignore you. You don't know the danger you could be in._

There was no time for worry or regret. There were only two other places Vhisola spent time at, the school and the Akilini practice field. There was no practice scheduled for today, so maybe she was in class. If she wasn't, it might already be too late.

Nokama turned to leave, then stopped. Out the window, she could see the familiar, humanoid shapes of Vahki moving down the avenue. They enforced the law and kept order in Metru Nui, but even so, the sight of them had always filled Nokama with an unnamed dread.

There was an old joke in Metru Nui: "Don't look back, a Vahki might be gaining on you." These enforcers lived for the chase. They could not be argued with or reasoned with. A Matoran lawbreaker had only two choices: surrender…or run. Choosing to surrender would result in the Vahki using their stun staffs to either make the Matoran more willing to work or less able to cause disorder. Fleeing would delay the inevitable for a while, but eventually the Vahki would track down their prey, and the same effect would occur.

Vhisola's neighbor, Amaya, was talking to the squad leader.

_Maybe she sent for them, _Nokama thought. _Maybe she doesn't believe I am a Toa—especially since I can hardly believe it myself._

The Vahki would want to bring her to Turaga Dume for questioning, and there was no time for that. She would have to get away from them.

Outside the house, the Ga-Matoran neighbor was doing her best to make the Vahki understand. "She said she was a Toa. Well, how do I know that's what she is? Maybe it's some trick of the Morbuzakh. Anyway, I know my duty, so I sent for you."

The Vahki nodded and signaled to the others in its squad to surround the house. Once certain that its stun staff was fully charged, it headed for Vhisola's home.

Nokama chose that moment to burst out of the door. Before the Vahki could react, she rushed past it and dove into the protodermis canal. Extending her hydro blades in front of her, she knifed through the liquid. The Vahki wasted no time in pursuing, taking to the sky in their flight mode to follow her course.

No Matoran could hope to outdistance a Vahki, but a Toa was another matter. Her Toa tools gave her an edge in speed, though she knew it would not be enough. She would have to rely on her most powerful advantage—her knowledge of Ga-Metru.

Up ahead, the canal continued toward the Great Temple, but there was a narrow branch to the left that fed protodermis into a central reservoir. Nokama glanced over her shoulder. The Vahki were temporarily out of sight. She whipped around the corner and down the feeder branch, plunging into the reservoir far below.

Nokama dove deep into the cool protodermis, then kicked hard and broke the surface. The reservoir was a huge, circular chamber, lit by lightstones embedded in the ceiling. Every sound echoed and re-echoed in the chamber, from the lapping of the waves to Nokama's breathing. But the one sound she did not hear was Vahki up above.

Satisfied that they had given up, Nokama dove down to the bottom of the tank and swam into another feeder branch. _The other Toa have probably already found their Matoran, _she thought. _How they will laugh when they hear of the difficulty I had!_

X X X

Ask a Ga-Matoran or a Ko-Matoran, and they would say Ta-Metru was the harshest, least hospitable spot in all of Metru Nui. The searing heat of the forges and the Great Furnace, the heavy smell of molten protodermis, the constant sound of crafters hammering away—to Matoran from the quieter districts, Ta-Metru was a nightmare.

Vakama, Toa of Fire, would have agreed with that opinion right now, if he'd had a moment to think. Instead, he was diving and rolling to avoid white-hot protodermis flowing from a vat high above. An accidental overflow or leak was always bad news, but in this case, it was far worse than that.

Looking around, he saw a citizen named Aft standing in an inopportune spot, confused among the chaos. "Look out!" Vakama yelled, as he shoved the Ta-Matoran out of the way. His tackle carried them both four bios out of the path of a glob of falling molten protodermis.

When the two landed, Aft looked up. "Toa, look up there!" he pointed.

Vakama glanced upward in the industrial factory. "Morbuzakh!" Vakama cried. Yes, the long Morbuzakh vines were still there, trying hard to rip the protodermis vat off its chain and hurl it to the ground. If they succeeded, there might not be much left of this section of Ta-Metru. Right now, they were rocking the cart back and forth, causing the molten protodermis to fall over the edge.

The Toa's mind raced. Morbuzakh vines had never been seen this far inside a Metru. Protodermis vats on their way to a forge should never stall long enough for anything to grab hold of them. But both had happened, and just when Vakama arrived in search of a missing mask maker.

More Ta-Matoran workers were running for cover. But if enough hot protodermis hit the ground, there would be no place to hide; it would spread rapidly, burning through anything in its path unless Vakama found a way to stop it.

_Right. Sounds easy, _thought the new Toa Metru. _Only how do I do it? I can't keep ducking and dodging. The vat is too high up to reach by climbing. Not that the Morbuzakh will let me get close enough anyway. Unless…_

Vakama knew they had only one chance. Matau had made fun of his choice of a disk launcher for a Toa tool. But right now, Vakama felt like it was the wisest decision he had ever made. He looked at the three-digit code on one of his disks. The first digit identified where it was made, the second its power, the third its power level. This was a level 5 freeze disk. Better still, the disk had been made in Ko-Metru, which meant it carried an extra surprise for the Morbuzakh vines. _This has to work, or nothing in Ta-Metru will be left standing! _he thought, loading the disk into his launcher.

Vakama rolled, came up in a crouch, aimed, and let the disk fly. As he expected, the Morbuzakh vines reacted instantly, swiping at the spinning object to try to stop it. But Ko-Metru disks were made to swerve at high speed to avoid any obstacle. As soon as the vines came close to disrupting the projectile's flight, the disk zigzagged back and forth. It remained true on course—the Morbuzakh grasped only empty air as the disk flew onto its target.

Impact! The disk hit the gears above the vat head on, freezing them solid and stopping the tilt. The vines snaked back up to the vat from trying to stop the disk, but recoiled violently when they touched the ice.

Vakama took the hint. He launched another disk at one of the vines. When it struck, veins of frost began to travel the length of the blackened tendril. The other vines writhed frantically in the air, waving back and forth so much that frozen portions of them broke off. Then all of them retreated back through a crack in the ground. The cart, protodermis, and plant appendages were left frozen together.

The Toa Metru of Fire let out a long sigh of relief. The forge was safe, and more importantly, he had learned that the Morbuzakh hated the cold. He was puzzling over what that might mean when the control room attendant, named Kapura, came rushing over.

"That was…amazing—incredible!" said the Ta-Matoran. "How did you know it would work?"

"I didn't know," Vakama answered. "I just took a random chance…"

"I thought we had seen the last of the Toa when Lhikan disappeared," Kapura praised. "If you hadn't been here—"

"l did what I had to do," said Vakama quietly. He wasn't used to being seen as a hero and wasn't sure if he would ever feel comfortable about being one. "Now, what was a Morbuzakh vine doing this far inside the Metru? And what happened to the facility? I thought that the vats never stopped moving; why was this one moving slowly enough to be grabbed?"

"I don't know about the vines, but some creature sabotaged the vat controls. Come and see," said the attendant grimly.

Vakama followed him into the forge control center. The foreman pointed to an ugly burn on one of the control panels. It had obviously been attacked. "That's what happened. Like I said, some four-legged monster broke in and fried the controls with a burst of energy."

Vakama looked hard at the ruined, sparking controls, then glanced upward again at the frozen yet quickly thawing vat. "And just when I'm coming here to find Nuhrii and learn about the Great Disk," he said to himself. "Coincidence?"

He knelt down for a closer look at the damaged machinery. Some components had been damaged, but they could be repaired. That was not half as interesting as the scattered protodermis dust he saw on the floor near the damaged portion. He had seen dust like that once before, on a visit to Po-Metru, but this glittered in the light. It was only upon closer examination that he spotted the crushed Ko-Metru knowledge crystals mixed in with the dust.

The Toa Metru glanced up at Kapura. "I think I can fix this, if you can do a favor for me. I'm looking for a mask maker named Nuhrii. He wasn't at his home or at his forge. Have you seen him?"

"Yes. He was here this morning," Kapura replied. "He was looking for a Great Mask he made. It was tossed as flawed, but he said someone told him the mask was fine. He wanted to retrieve it before it went into the furnace for meltdown."

"Did he find it?"

Kapura shrugged. "It's not here. Must still be on the reject pile, so I sent him over there. Nuhrii was talking pretty crazy, though. Said if he couldn't find the mask, he knew where there was a Kanoka disk that could make the greatest mask anyone had ever worn. I guess he's been working a little too hard."

"Yes. I guess so," Vakama replied, not at all convinced Nuhrii was crazy. More likely, the Matoran was walking into a trap—or getting ready to spring one.


	5. Chapter 5

Whenua stood before the south gate of the Onu-Metru Archives, about at the end of his patience. "All right. For the fourth time, I am Whenua. I have worked here my whole life. I need to get inside and find Tehutti before he does something we are all going to regret a whole lot."

He waited for an answer from the gate guard, who did not look impressed by the sight of a Toa Metru of Earth. Whenua considered finding another access to the Archives, but given that they covered almost the entire Metru, it could be a long chute ride to another gateway. And there was no guarantee the guard there would be any more cooperative than Damek, in front of him.

"Okay, you look like a Toa," said Damek. "But not any Toa I've ever seen. And Whenua? Whenua is an archivist, and he sure doesn't carry twin drills like yours. If you don't want to give me your real name, fine, but I can't let just anyone in here."

Whenua did his best to hold his temper. It would take too long to explain about how artifacts called Toa Stones transformed six Matoran into Toa Metru, even assuming the guard would believe that. Even more frustrating was the fact that his Great Mask of Power might prove a help here, but he didn't even know what that power might be yet. "Can you at least tell me if Tehutti is here?"

The guard chuckled. "Tehutti's always here, Toa 'Whenua.' He spends his whole life down with the exhibits. He showed up here all excited about some shipment or another, probably another Rahi only its mother could love. But there's nothing on the ship schedule for today."

Whenua frowned. When he began searching for Tehutti, he had gone to the archivist's home. There he found a note offering an exotic Rahi for the Archives in exchange for a Great Disk. The note featured a crude drawing of the Rahi and was signed by a Ga-Metru Matoran named Vhisola. From the sound of things, Tehutti had rushed right over to make the exchange.

The Toa Metru of Earth made his decision. He pushed past Damek and went to the doorway. "Call the Vahki if you want to, I have to get in there. Now where did they hide those levers today?"

While the Matoran protested, Whenua ran his hands over the surface of the doorway. The Archives boasted a unique security system. Each door had three hidden levers whose location was changed every day. They had to be thrown in the right combination for the door to open, and that changed every day, too. Every Onu-Matoran believed it to be the perfect protection against intruders.

"Go ahead," Damek taunted. "No one has ever made it past that door. You won't stand a—"

Whenua threw the levers, one, two, three. The great door opened with a hiss. The Toa of Earth turned toward the guard and said, "What was that? Couldn't hear you over the sound of the door opening."

X X X

Vhisola's classes were held in one of the many ornate domes that dotted Ga-Metru. Her instructor was little help but did suggest that perhaps the Matoran had closeted herself in the lab to finish some overdue work.

It was only a short walk to the lab, but for some reason Nokama felt she had to run. The sight of the door blown off its hinges told her she was already too late.

The inside of the lab looked worse. Furniture was overturned, tablets scattered and smashed as if a windstorm had torn through the place. Kotu, a lab worker was doing her best to straighten up when Nokama entered.

"What happened here?"

Kotu jumped. "Don't do that! You startled me! I thought that…thing had come back here again."

"I'm sorry," Nokama said, realizing that her new appearance probably was a bit intimidating. "What 'thing' are you talking about?"

"l don't know. Four legs, some kind of claw tool—ripped the place apart. He stole all of Vhisola's research notes, all except one." Kotu pointed to a shattered tablet on the ground.

Nokama knelt down and began sifting through the fragments, matching the carvings on them together like a puzzle. When she was done, there was an image of a huge Morbuzakh root and six Great Disks bringing it down. Beneath each disk was written the Metru it came from and a three-digit code.

_Vakama was right! There is a connection between the Great Disks and the Morbuzakh. But why would anyone want to stop us from ending that threat?_

Then she caught sight of something else, half hidden by an overturned bench. It was a map of the Le-Metru chute system, stamped with the name Orkahm. _What would this be doing here? _Nokama wondered.

She looked up at the lab worker, who was watching her intently. "The rest of her notes—have you seen them?"

"Hey, I just take care of the lab. I never—"

Nokama rose to her full height. Looking down on the Matoran, she repeated slowly, "Have you seen them?"

Kotu's gaze dropped to the floor. "All right. She showed them to me once. Said something about a Great Disk making her somebody. Her notes were all about the Morbuzakh, but they didn't make any sense to me. She made copies of everything and said she was taking them home."

"For the sake of Ga-Metru and the whole city, I hope they are still there," said Nokama.

X X X

Nokama returned to Vhisola's home through the canals. As she feared, there was still a Vahki patrolling the area. Reasoning with it would be a waste of time. Vahki didn't listen. They were trained to see movement and to react. She needed a distraction.

_Well, I am supposed to be the Toa of Water, _she said to herself. _Let us see if that is only a name._

It was the hardest thing Nokama had ever attempted. Extending her twin tools, she strained to draw moisture from the air. At one point, she thought for sure she would black out and drift away on the canal. But finally, she could feel one of the most powerful of elements coming under her control.

Two narrow streams of water were all she could manage at first, but they were enough. She targeted a bit of ornamentation on a house down the avenue. The water struck it head-on, knocking it from its perch with a resounding crash. The Vahki paused, turned, and moved off to investigate.

Nokama bolted for the house. Inside, she searched frantically for any possible hiding place. The four-legged creature had obviously not been here, unless he had suddenly grown neater. But where had Vhisola hidden the notes? What would be the one place that would be special to her?

Then her eyes settled on the largest picture of herself. Nokama almost dreaded being proven right, but she was—behind the picture was a safe with three dials. There was no time to try to guess the combination. It had to be one of the codes that had been on the tablet, or her search would end in failure.

At first, she considered using the Ga-Metru code, but that almost seemed too obvious. She tried the Ta-Metru code, the Onu-Metru code, the Po-Metru code, and the others, all to no end. But ironically enough, when she spun the dial to the three digits of the Ga-Metru code, the door swung open. Inside was a pile of tablets, all with Vhisola's distinctive carvings on them. Nokama glanced at each one until she found the crucial piece of information.

It was a carving of the Great Temple with a powerful disk pictured beside it. It had been there all the time!

_Vhisola must have gone there to retrieve the Great Disk, _thought Nokama. _But if she doesn't know about that four-legged monster… _Nokama turned and raced out of the house. She didn't even worry that the Vahki might pursue her again. _Let it follow me! I could use the help!_

X X X

The Toa of Fire thought hard as he walked. The walls of Nuhrii's home had been lined with tablets, souvenirs of his work. Each tablet showed an image of a Kanohi mask and the Kanoka disk from which it had been made. One of the tablets had been smashed on the floor, and a failed attempt made to put it back together.

Kapura had said that Nuhrii had made a flawed mask. Vakama guessed it was the tablet featuring that mask that had been broken in anger. When Nuhrii heard the mask was in fact perfect, he tried to put the tablet back together before rushing off to find the Kanohi.

That still left a few questions. Who had discovered the mask was still a good one and notified Nuhrii? And was the note the Matoran had received the truth or simply bait to lure him into a trap?

Vakama hoped to find the answer at the huge, fenced-in lot just ahead. Its official name was the Protodermis Reclamation Center, but to every mask maker in Ta-Metru, it was a graveyard, and best to be avoided. No matter how many hours of work had gone into a mask, a single, tiny flaw could ruin it. Then it would be transported here, to sit on top of a pile of other broken, useless masks until it could be fed to the furnace and melted down. The resulting liquid protodermis would then be used to make other things. Mask makers considered the yard to be a monument to failure; it was the one place no mask maker ever wanted to visit.

A single guard stood at the gate. Vakama recognized him as the soldier, Keahi. The bored look on his face disappeared when he saw a Toa coming toward him."Who are you?" he asked.

"l am Toa Vakama." It felt so strange to say it. "Toa Metru of Fire. I need to get inside."

"I'm sorry, but I have orders from Turaga Dume. No one is allowed in. I don't want trouble with the Vahki."

"But you let Nuhrii in, didn't you? He's in danger, and I have to find him. Please open the gate."

"I can't! I could lose my job."

Vakama frowned. This argument was taking too much time. Keahi was obviously more afraid of the Vahki than he was of making a Toa angry. And why wouldn't he be? No Toa would ever harm an innocent.

"Then I will open it for you," the Toa of Fire said. Concentrating harder than he ever had in his life, Vakama willed a narrow jet of flame from his hand. In an instant it had melted the lock into slag. "You did your job. Now I have to try and do mine."

The yard was quiet. Vakama walked past piles of Kanohi masks and other artifacts, all waiting behind the fences for their time in the Great Furnace. Some looked perfect to the naked eye, their flaws visible only to a truly skilled crafter. Others were badly mangled.

So focused was he on scanning the damaged items that he almost tripped over something in his path. When he regained his footing, he saw it was a Mask of Shielding someone had left lying in the path. Vakama bent down and picked it up. It looked familiar somehow, but he couldn't quite place it.

Then it struck him. The angle of the mask, the ridges around the eyepieces…these were marks of Nuhrii's work. Was this the mask the Matoran had been seeking, now cast aside as if it were worthless?

"Everyone seems to want that Kanohi today," said a Matoran behind him. Vakama turned to see the reclamation center caretaker, Kalama, approaching. "Nuhrii was here looking for it just a short while ago."

"But he didn't take it with him?" asked Vakama. "Why not?"

"Look for yourself. That mask has a hairline crack in the base," the caretaker replied, pointing to a barely visible flaw. "I've been doing this so long I can spot a bad one from a long way away. Mask maker must have cooled it too fast. Anyway, Nuhrii took one look at it, threw it down, and left. He was muttering something about forging the most powerful Kanohi ever made and showing up some other crafter. Vakama, I think his name was."

_Me? Why would he want to outdo me? _Vakama thought. _Sure, I had fewer masks wind up here, and Turaga Dume did ask me to craft a special Kanohi for him, but I never knew Nuhrii would be so jealous of that. After all, I learned so much from him. _

Nuhrii had been a mask maker for some time before Vakama was ever promoted to the position. It did not take long for Vakama's skills to surpass Nurhii's, and soon he was getting special requests for masks from Turaga Dume. Now it appeared that Nuhrii resented this and had decided that he could outshine Vakama if he got the Ta-Metru Great Disk and made it into a Mask of Power.

"l guess masks aren't the only things that can hide their flaws," the Toa of Fire said. "Do you have any idea where he's gone?"

Kalama handed over a tablet. "He dropped this on his way out."

Vakama's eyes flew across the stone. There was no signature on the note, just some smudges of liquid protodermis. It read:

_Nuhrii,_

_Come to the abandoned mask maker's house in the northern reaches. You'll learn a valuable secret there—how to turn a Great Disk into a Kanohi mask that will live in legend. Come alone. Tell no one._

Vakama's mind reeled for a moment. He could see Nuhrii surrounded by shadowy tentacles that were reaching for him, grabbing him, squeezing the breath from the Matoran. Somehow, the Toa knew this danger was real, and it was happening now!

Kalama watched Vakama race off and shook his head. Then he turned to the pile of broken masks and said, "Everyone's in such a hurry. Everyone except me…and all of you. We're in no rush to get where we're going, right?"

The Matoran laughed then, but Vakama was too far away to hear.

X X X

To Whenua, the Onu-Metru Archives were more than a storehouse or a museum. In his eyes, they were more magnificent than the crystal Knowledge Towers of Ko-Metru, the Great Temple, and the Sculpture Fields of Po-Metru all put together. The main floors extended for a great distance in every direction, and when they had taken up most of the space in the Metru, work had begun on the lower levels and sub-basements. The Archives now occupied the subterranean depths of the city, extending far beyond the boundaries of Onu-Metru.

Nor could it be said that the Archives were finished. As more exhibits were added, Onu-Matoran workers continued to dig deeper and deeper down to find space to house them. Over time, they and the archivists had become so accustomed to the dim light underground that the brightness of the twin suns was hard on their eyes.

On the outside, the Archives looked grim and imposing. Inside, it was a vast treasure trove of every creation that had ever walked Metru Nui. Rather than the dry historical records and prophecies of Ko-Metru, this was a living museum. Every Rahi beast, every insect-like Bohrok, every creature in the Archives was part of a living record. Inside their protodermis stasis tubes, they were alive but suspended in time forever.

Whenua walked into the first of the Rahi wings, enjoying the familiar scents of the Archives. He nodded a greeting to one of the oldest exhibits, a Nui-Rama captured in flight whose stasis chamber hung from the ceiling high above. All around, archivists scurried back and forth pushing their transport carts. These were used for moving exhibits of all sizes through the subterranean, protodermis-lined tunnels.

Whenua turned and headed for Tehutti's pride and joy, an exhibit of a Kane-Ra bull. Before he had even walked through the archway, he could see something was wrong. The section looked like a live Rahi had passed through, shattering the display case and scattering artifacts. Fortunately, only the outer shell had been broken. Had the inner casing been cracked, the Rahi inside might well have come to life again and rampaged through the Archives.

Whenua spotted Tehutti's transport cart in a corner, empty. Lying near it was a hammer, the kind used in Ta-Metru forges. The archivist in Whenua was dismayed. Ta-Metru artifacts belonged on one of the sublevels, not in a Rahi section. It was only when he looked again at all the damage that he realized why the hammer was there.

_Who would want to sabotage these relics? _He wondered. _Someone from Ta-Metru? Why?_

Shrugging, Whenua moved on to the next exhibit hall. Here were more Rahi, even larger ones, and carvings of those that had either eluded capture or whose displays had been moved into storage. The Toa Metru of Earth was looking for anything out of place, when one carving caught his eye. It depicted a massive Rahi with four legs and a long, muscular tail, ideal for striking out at opponents. Carved underneath the picture were the words "Nui-Jaga. Found in Po-Metru. Near the Sculpture Fields!" Beside that was the name of the carver, Ahkmou.

_A Nui-Jaga, _he thought. _A Po-Metru Rahi. But this is the same beast Vhisola offered in trade for the Great Disk!_

As an archivist, Whenua was skilled at starting from the present and working back. No Ga-Matoran would even know what a Nui-Jaga was, most likely, let alone have one captive to trade. The offer to Tehutti had been a fake, probably written by someone other than this Vhisola. It was bait to get Tehutti to the Archives so the Great Disk could be stolen from him!

That thought made him realize something even worse. Whoever was trying to get the Great Disks—possibly that four-legged hunter Vakama talked about—might be right here in the Archives, planning an ambush. For a moment, he wondered if he should try to find help. Maybe a Toa, or even the Vahki…

Then he remembered—_he_ was a Toa. It was his job to face danger and overcome it. Whenua wasn't was bold or confident as some of the other Toa Metru. Being a former archivist, he knew all the stories about disasters that befell Matoran who rushed into things without thinking. He believed caution, planning, and a knowledge of the past were the most important tools for a hero. Unless, of course, the Archives were threatened—then he would take personal risks of every kind to protect what he viewed as the most important place in all of Metru Nui. And nothing—_nothing!_—would make him risk the safety of his Archives or his city, or keep him from protecting them.

He ran for the nearest exit to the outer dock. Still getting used to his new, far more powerful form, he stumbled a few times and almost crashed into a display of parasitic Bohrok Krana. With a shudder, he kept going, thanking the Great Beings he had not set those things loose.

Any shipment, no matter how large or small, had to come through the outer dock. The Matoran who worked here were both smart and brave. It was their job to make sure every "exhibit" was ready to be placed in a stasis tube, where its life processes would be slowed to a crawl. If one of the creatures intended for archiving decided to wake up, it would be up to the dockworkers to put it back to sleep again.

When Whenua arrived on the dock, a four-Matoran crew was trying to subdue a Gukko bird long enough for it to be put in stasis and archived. The powerful winged beast was objecting. There was about a fifty-fifty chance it would break away and head for the sky, carrying a Matoran or two with it.

Whenua went over to help, but the dock leader, Dosne, got in the way. "We have to do it ourselves," said the Matoran. "Understand? If we start depending on a Toa, what happens when you're not around?"

Whenua looked from the dock leader to the crew and back again. Then he nodded. "Okay, then—for now. Have you seen Tehutti?"

"He was headed for the next dock over. I told him not to waste his time. This Rahi was a last-minute find, but there aren't any others on the schedule. And nothing from any Vhisola."

"I know. I'm pretty sure he knows, too," replied Whenua, turning away. "Make sure that Gukko's fast asleep. Last time one got loose, it brought down half the exhibits in sublevel three."

"How did you know about that?" Dosne asked. But the Toa of Earth was already gone.


	6. Chapter 6

As she sped through the canals heading for the Great Temple, Nokama remembered one of her first conversations with Vhisola. "Everyone has a special talent," she had told the Matoran. "You simply have to discover the one that is yours." Now that she knew Vhisola's plan had been to take the Great Disk for herself and use it for personal gain, simply to become more famous than herself, she wondered if the "special talent" was deception.

She emerged from the canals near the temple but was stopped short by the sight of a crowd of Matoran some distance away. They were craning their necks to look up at one of the tall buildings, pointing and shouting.

Nokama rushed over to them. "What is it? What's happening?"

"It's Vhisola!" Marka shouted. "On top of that building! She's going to fall!"

The Toa of Water looked up. There was Vhisola, teetering on the edge of a roof. The Matoran wasn't going to be able to maintain her balance for long. Nokama felt helpless. She wasn't a climber; she could never scale the building in time.

She turned and leaped into the canal, extending her hydro blades in front of her. Her momentum carried her forward, skiing across the surface of the canal. Just before reaching a bridge, Nokama dove beneath the surface. She sped through the winding protodermis pipe, down a grade, and back up at incredible velocity. Powered by her fear for Vhisola's life, she flew out of the end of the pipe and soared high into the air, angling her body so she would land on the same roof as the Matoran.

Vhisola saw her coming, rocked a little and started to fall. Nokama swooped down, caught the Matoran with one arm and the edge of the roof with the other, and hauled them both to safety.

If she expected gratitude, she was disappointed. "You," said Vhisola. "I knew it would be you. Now that you're a Toa Metru, you'll just cast an even longer shadow over me."

"Vhisola, whatever you think, we can deal with it later. I need that Great Disk!"

"Everyone wants my disk," said Vhisola. "Some four-legged thing—not a Rahi, I don't know what it was—chased me through the streets. I had to hide up here to get away from him. I never should have paid attention to that note."

"What note?"

Vhisola produced two small tablets. On the first was a jumble of Matoran numbers, on the second a code key. "Here. Let's see if you can decode it faster than I did."

It took Nokama a few long moments, but finally she was able to read the message. It said: "Beware. The Toa serve the Morbuzakh. They must not find the Great Disks. Meet me at the protodermis falls with your disk and I will keep it safe. Ahkmou."

Nokama suddenly felt very cold. "Come on, Vhisola. We need to have a long talk with some friends of mine."

X X X

The Toa Metru of Fire scanned his surroundings. He couldn't believe anything could make Nuhrii come here. This was a place no Ta-Matoran ever wandered, not if they hoped to see the twin suns rise again.

This had once been one of the most active sections of Ta-Metru. Vakama could remember riding the chutes here to see friends just a short time ago. but it seemed like ages had passed. Now the whole neighborhood was desolate and abandoned, surrendered to the power of the Morbuzakh. Half the buildings were reduced to rubble, and the rest did not look much better.

Vakama walked carefully, avoiding the chunks of solid protodermis that littered the street. Only the skittering of little Rahi among the wreckage broke the silence. Most of the Matoran who had lived here had fled, finding refuge with friends in the heart of the Metru. Those who had chosen to stay were never seen or heard from again. Turaga Dume had declared the whole area off-limits, but soon found he did not need to dispatch Vahki to guard the place. No Matoran wanted to travel here.

_Except Nuhrii, _Vakama reminded himself. _But even if he is here, I may be too late to save him._

As if in answer, a voice shouted, "Help!" It came from an abandoned crafter's home farther down the street. Vakama broke into a run, then stopped short when he saw the twin Morbuzakh vines slithering toward the same building. They were moving too quickly. He could never hope to outrace them.

"Help!"

Vakama loaded his last disk into the launcher and hoped he was making the right decision. He had never used this particular kind of disk before or even forged a mask from one. Its power was the least predictable and might make a bad situation worse. But there wasn't any other choice.

The disk shot through the air and struck the first vine, then guided by his concentrated thoughts, the Ga-Metru disk began a sweeping arc that would bring it back to Vakama. On its way, it clipped the second vine, just as the Toa Metru hoped it would. Before his eyes, both vines began to shimmer and fade. Then they were gone, teleported somewhere else in Metru Nui. Vakama hoped he had not just created a greater danger for someone else to deal with.

The door to the house was unlocked. As soon as it was opened, a cloud of protodermis dust flew out, blinding and choking Vakama. When he could see again, he discovered the way in was blocked by rubble.

"Who's there? Help me! I'm trapped back here!" It was Nuhrii's voice, coming from somewhere beyond the pile of protodermis. The Morbuzakh vines had brought down the roof and were no doubt getting ready to start on the walls when the Toa Metru showed up.

For a moment, Vakama considered using his elemental power to melt through the obstacle. But his powers were so new, he had too little control over them. Make a mistake and the whole district might burn. No, he would have to do it the hard way, block by block.

Vakama removed one chunk of protodermis, but when he took out a second, the rubble shifted and more fell from the roof. "Hey, watch it!" Nuhrii shouted. "What are you trying to do?"

Vakama began again, proceeding more carefully. "Hang on, Nuhrii!" he called into the building. "If I don't move the blocks right, the whole place may come down." He shifted a block, paused, shifted it some more, until he was certain it wouldn't cause a collapse. It took a lot of careful work, but with caution and time he finally managed to create a big enough opening for Nuhrii to crawl through.

The Matoran was coated in dust but did not seem hurt. "l thought I would never get out of there," said Nuhrii. The Matoran stretched his stiffness out and breathed hard when he exited, replenishing himself with clean, smokey Ta-Metru air after a few coughs.

"Easy. You're safe now," Vakama said. "What happened?"

Nuhrii looked up at his rescuer for the first time. "Vakama! You!"

"Yes. It is me. What were you doing here?"

Nuhrii coughed again, then answered Vakama. "Okay, why shouldn't I tell you? I…I got a note telling me if I came here and shared the location of the Great Disk, I would learn the secret to making an incredible Mask of Power. But when I got here…there was no one around. Then the Morbuzakh brought the ceiling down on me. If you hadn't found me…"

Vakama nodded. "Someone doesn't want that Great Disk found. I don't know why, but—" With a shout, the Toa of Fire was suddenly lifted off the ground from behind by a Morbuzakh vine that had still been winding its way through the vicinity.

"No!" Nuhrii called after the Toa.

Vakama struggled against the grasp of the plant creature. _Can't pull free…Nuhrii and I are both finished unless he is able to do something… _

Vakama would have been relieved to know that Nuhrii _was _planning something. He pulled out his Matoran disk launcher and grabbed a disk. _Have to angle this just right… _he thought. Angled too far one way or another, the disk would fly off-course. He fired, watching the disk soar and curve the desired amount. It hit the extension of plant matter dead-on. _Got it! _

The enlarging Kanoka disk did its work well.

The disk hit it and released its power against the vine. "It's too big to hold me now!" Vakama realized. The vine grew to twenty times of its original size. The surprise freed Vakama, who dropped down, tumbling a few times on the massive appendage to land by the Matoran. "Nuhrii, we have to go before it gets used to its new size—run!"

The two ran through the room as the vine writhed back and forth, causing more destruction. They left the building as it finished crumbling. "Come on, we're going to the Great Temple," Vakama instructed. "The other Toa Metru need to hear about this!"

"Others?" Nuhrii wondered. "There are more?"

Vakama didn't answer—he was too busy running. Soon they reached a distance great enough that they stopped running, whereupon the Vakama turned to the Matoran. "There's one thing I still don't understand—when you received the note from the unknown sender, what did you hope to gain?"

Nuhrii's eyes shifted, uncomfortable and disappointed. "I thought I would figure learn how to thurn the Great Disk into a Mask of Power you could never dream of making. Then I would be the one others came to for the important Kanohi."

In all the time Vakama had worked as a mask maker, he had never once raised his voice. It had been Nuhrii who first hired him as a mask-making apprentice, and Nuhrii who had taught him the basic skills. But now, as Vakama thought of all he had been through to find the Matoran, he felt anger rise in him.

"Look around you, Nuhrii," the Toa said harshly. "Look at what the Morbuzakh has done to our city! This is no time to be thinking of personal glory. Everyone has to work together to stop this menace. That Great Disk you have is the key to saving Metru Nui. I don't know how, but it is. You have to tell me where to find it!"

Nuhrii looked shocked. It took him a moment before he could speak, but when he did, his tone was that of a Matoran ashamed. "The Great Disk! I—I didn't know. Yes, I will gladly help you find it."

The two left again and started walking out of the abandoned zone. Although Nuhrii spoke under his breath, Vakama could hear him saying, "We'll get the disk. We'll stop the Morbuzakh. And everyone will know that I saved Metru Nui!"

The Toa Metru of Fire could only shake his head and walk on.

X X X

Whenua pounded around the corner. All he could think about was finding Tehutti in time and stopping him from doing something the whole city would regret later. He scanned for any sign of the Matoran or for signs of a trap.

What he found was a well-concealed hole with a narrow ladder leading down into darkness. On a hunch, he began to climb down. He had made it about halfway when a rung gave way beneath his foot.

The next thing he knew, he was falling. And falling. Down, down, into the sublevels and sub-sublevels of the Archives, and then farther still, thinking to himself all the while: _Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

Thoughts rushed through his mind. Was this the trap set for Tehutti, and had the Matoran already fallen into it? Just how far down did this pit go? And could even a Toa survive such a plunge?

Whenua found out an instant later, when he came to a crashing halt far below the lowest levels of the Archives. Despite spending a lifetime working here, even he had never been this far down before. But he had heard rumors of a level far below the surface, where exhibits that had proven potentially dangerous were placed for safekeeping.

The Toa Metru of Earth sat up and groaned. His bruises had bruises and his head was pounding. With a great deal of effort, he rose. The hallways down here were even darker and more narrow than the ones above. Lightstones were few and far between. Anyone who came down here left in a hurry, so why waste illumination?

He had only taken three steps when he heard the sound every archivist dreaded. It was a unique crunch, the sound of stasis-tube fragments being crushed underfoot.

Whenua forced himself to remain calm. _So one of the cases was broken, so what? Maybe it's only the outer shell that was damaged, and there's nothing to worry about. Yes, it had to be the outer shell, because if it was the inner shell, then something would be loose down here. Something very nasty._

He had seen it happen before. Outer shells could take all kinds of pounding, but if the inner shell of a stasis tube cracked even a little, the rush of air would wake up the contents. When the contents had teeth, claws, and a hatred of being caged up, this generally turned out to be a bad thing.

Whenua did his best to move quietly down the corridor, which was not easy with his large frame. He reminded himself that he had been an experienced Onu-Metru archivist before becoming a Toa. As a Matoran, he had faced down his share of snarling Rahi. What could be down here that could possibly bother him now?

The answer came with twin beams of pure, blazing heat that creased the side of his Kanohi mask. The wall of the corridor sizzled where they struck, and the hallway was suddenly filled with the smell of charred protodermis. Whenua whirled to see a Rahkshi heading right toward him, red eyes gleaming in its hideous yellow face. Startled, he found he could not remember the creature's exact name. But he didn't have to strain to recall its power—heat vision, capable of burning a hole through anything, including newly created Toa.

No one was quite certain just where Rahkshi came from, but everyone wished they had stayed there. These armored monsters had appeared at various times and in various points of the city. A small number had been captured by the Vahki, but many more escaped. Of the many creatures now held in the Archives, Rahkshi were one of them. As Whenua just found out, some were loose, and hiding beneath the city.

Whenua ducked another heat blast and darted into another corridor. He needed time to think and space to maneuver, neither of which the Rahkshi was likely to give him. This would be a great time to use his Kanohi Mask of Power, if only he knew what it did. The twin earthshock drills he carried could punch their way through almost anything, and his elemental power…

Yes, that was it. When he reached the far end of the hall, he activated the drills and began tearing up the flooring. His elemental power would affect the earth underneath, but there was no harm giving it a little help.

The Rahkshi turned the corner and started toward him, its powerful body gleaming in the dim light. He could hear the horrible screech of the Kraata it carried inside. Twin shafts of red shot toward him from the Rahkshi's eyes, Whenua barely moving aside in time. Then it was the moment to go to work.

The Toa Metru looked down and did his best to ignore the advancing creature. He willed the earth to rise, to form an impenetrable wall between him and the Rahkshi. He could see the soil beginning to shift, running together and then swirling as if mini cyclones had taken hold.

It was a toss-up who was more shocked by what happened next, the Rahkshi or Whenua. A mound of earth suddenly rose from the floor, hardening rapidly and blocking the creature from coming closer. Whenua took a step back and smiled, imagining how the other Toa would feel when he told them about this. Nuju probably couldn't even manage an icicle, or Onewa move a pebble, or…

The celebration came to an abrupt end. Twin red spots appeared on the earth wall, glowing brighter and brighter every moment. While Whenua had been patting himself on the back, the Rahkshi was focusing its power to melt the obstacle in its path.

_Okay, maybe I won't tell the others about this, _Whenua decided.

He ducked into a doorway just as the wall crumbled. There was something Tehutti had said about yellow Rahkshi once, if only he could remember. What was it? Tehutti was always on about one piece of exhibit trivia or another.

Then it came to him. Right after it uses its heat beams, the Rahkshi's eyesight is weakened temporarily. Tehutti had been right, too, for the creature walked right past Whenua's hiding place without spotting him.

Once the Rahkshi was gone, Whenua fought a strong urge to get out of the Archives. Then he remembered that Tehutti might well be down here, and if he was, the Rahkshi would find him. Like it or not, he had to go on.

_But maybe I don't have to fight the Rahkshi, _he realized. _Not if I can get something else to do it for me._

Whenua raced down the hallway, stopping only long enough to pry a lightstone out of the wall. By its beam, he was able to spot the shattered Rahkshi stasis tube. He scooped up as many of the inner casing fragments as he could find, then went back on the trail of the creature.

As he walked, he tried to remember everything he could about this level. Over time, he had seen a number of exhibits sent down here, even marked a few for storage himself. If he was correct, all he had to do was find the right one.

It took a lot of walking, numerous twists and turns, and a few potentially dangerous mistakes before Whenua spotted the door he wanted. It was one of the few down here that had a sign, which read DANGER: MUAKA PEN. He could hear the great Rahi cat pacing and growling behind the door. Food was sent down to it once a day from the upper levels through a small chute, but Muaka were notorious for always being hungry. Better still, they did not get along with Rahkshi at all.

Whenua took a deep breath. This was going to be tricky. First, he scattered the protodermis fragments on the floor in front of the door. Then he used his earthshock drill to punch a hole through the lock. He waited until he could hear the Muaka charging before he dove for cover.

The door crashed open. The huge Rahi snarled, sniffing the air and snapping its massive jaws together. Whenua watched anxiously as the Muaka lowered its head and picked up the scent off the fragments. The eyes narrowed at the smell of Rahkshi, and it took off at a run.

Whenua followed. Letting another creature loose down here went against his nature as an archivist, but it would be easier to cage the Muaka again than a Rahkshi. He just had to hope the Muaka found the Rahkshi before either found Tehutti.

He was deep in the heart of the storage level when he heard the snarls up ahead. The sounds were followed by red flashes of heat vision, then an impact that shook the entire section. The Muaka had tracked down his prey.

Whenua rounded the corner to see Rahi and Rahkshi locked in a mighty struggle. Ordinarily, the Rahkshi would be the clear favorite, but the Muaka's bulk reduced his foe's room to maneuver. Beyond them, the Toa could see an open chamber where Tehutti strained to get out from under a pile of artifacts.

The Toa forced himself to wait for the right moment. When the Muaka lifted his right forepaw to strike, Whenua dove, slid across the floor past the two creatures, and ended up in the same chamber as the Matoran.

"Get me out of here!" Tehutti cried. "I'll do anything!"

Whenua worked quickly and carefully, pushing the debris aside and hoping the struggle outside would go on a little longer. "Anything? Then how about giving me that Great Disk you have while there's still a city up above to save."

Tehutti shrugged off the last few pieces of Metru Nui history and nodded. "l never thought I would be glad to see you. I fell down here, and some four-legged Rahi bait demanded I give him the disk. When I wouldn't do it, he brought this stuff down on me and left me here. You want the disk? You can have it. I'd rather be trapped in a broken chute with a horde of Vahki than hold on to it now!"

Whenua glanced out into the hall, made sure Rahi and Rahkshi were still busy, then slammed the door and locked it. "We'll have to dig a new tunnel to get out of here. In the meantime, you can explain why you ever thought a Ga-Matoran would have a Nui-Jaga to trade for the disk."

Tehutti watched in awe as Whenua's earthshock drills went to work on the wall. "I—I knew she wouldn't. My friend Ahkmou told me all about Nui-Jaga long ago, so I knew they didn't come from Ga-Metru. I wanted to see why someone wanted the Great Disk and if they really did have a Nui-Jaga, well…"

"You would have traded the city's safety for a new exhibit to put your name on," Whenua replied.

"I've spent virtually all of my life working in the Archives. I've been a sensible, practical, hardworking Matoran but have never received the recognition I'm due! When I found the Great Disk, I thought it would make me famous…" Tehutti said. After a pause, he went on, "With you for a Toa Metru, Whenua, how safe is the city now? Besides, nothing very bad is going to happen to Metru Nui. Turaga Dume will figure out some way to deal with the Morbuzakh and everything will be fine."

"I hope so." Whenua powered down his drills. He had managed to punch a good-size hole in the wall. On the other side was another darkened corridor with a distinct upward slope. Hopefully, it led to the main floors. "Let's go," said the Toa of Earth. "We have a long journey ahead. If we run into the Morbuzakh, make sure to tell it that it's not a threat. I've never seen a plant laugh before."

X X X

The Matoran put down their tools and stood very still. They had heard two sets of footsteps behind them, heavy footsteps, and really did not want to turn around and see who it might be.

"Well, well, well," hissed a too-familiar voice. "Here I am again."

The Matoran forced their eyes to look. Yes, it was Nidhiki again, this time accompanied by a hulking brute with energy crackling from his hands.

"l came back to get the Great Disks," Nidhiki continued. "You know, the ones I want _very badly_? The ones you promised to get for me?"

"I—I don't have them. Not yet," the Matoran stammered. "But I'll get them! It's just taking a little more time than I thought."

"l see," Nidhiki replied. He gestured with one of his legs, and his lumbering companion moved toward the Matoran. "This is my friend. He doesn't like Matoran. He particularly doesn't like _you_."

The Matoran looked up at the bestial face of the brute who towered over him. "I'm doing my best! Really!"

"Your best?" Nidhiki repeated. "Three of the Toa are close to finding the Great Disks. Your efforts to trap the Matoran and divert the Toa Metru have been failures. Do you know what that means?"

The Matoran swallowed hard as the two creatures crowded close. "N-n-no."

"It means you're going to do better than your best. I've been to Ko-Metru and arranged to keep Toa Nuju busy. I expect you to arrange a little surprise for Toa Matau and get the Le-Metru disk. After that, you can work on Onewa and the Po-Metru disk. I know you aren't foolish enough to disappoint me again, are you?"

The Matoran's head shook sideways. The desire to speak was heavy, but their mouth didn't seem to be working.

"Good. Then I hope the next time I see you, you will have all six Great Disks for me. But either way," Nidhiki added, smiling, "it will be the last time I see you, Matoran. Understand?"

The two left before the Matoran could answer. They were barely out the door before the Matoran gathered up their things and headed for the chute station. They had an appointment in Le-Metru that they wouldn't miss if their life depended on it.

_And it sounds like it does! _the Matoran thought, dashing out into the street.


	7. Chapter 7

From high atop a gleaming Knowledge Tower, Toa Nuju looked down upon the landscape of Ko-Metru. For the Toa Metru of Ice, this was a most unusual vantage point. Normally, his eyes were on the sky, seeking to read the future from the brightness and movement of the stars.

But if Vakama was right, there might not be much of a future for Metru Nui if the Great Disks were not found. It was true that the Morbuzakh plant had done some pretty serious damage to the Metru. Still, Nuju was not sure just how far he wished to trust the Toa of Fire's "visions."

To some, Nuju seemed unfriendly and cold, and in some ways, that was a true picture of him. But at heart he simply was used to working alone and not having to deal with others, so being in a team was not a comfortable situation for him. What he really would have liked was the chance to go back to his work in Ko-Metru and forget about saving cities. But, knowing the future, he accepted that the destruction of the whole city would result in the destruction of his own home of Ko-Metru, and everything the Ko-Matoran had worked for. That, he decided, was what he would fight for.

Down below, all was still and silent. Even the hum of the transport chutes that carried Matoran from place to place was muted here. Nothing was allowed to disturb the work of the Matoran scholars who toiled in the crystal Knowledge Towers. There, they pored over the written records of Metru Nui, deciphered ancient prophecies, and crafted predictions of the future. Once, Nuju had been one of them. Now it was up to him to make sure there would be tomorrows to ponder.

At first, it seemed like that would be a simple enough task. The Ko-Metru Matoran who Vakama claimed had knowledge of the disk was named Ehrye. Finding him should not have been an issue. In fact, it was often impossible _not _to find Ehrye, even when you wanted to avoid him. He was constantly underfoot, running errands for different scholars and pleading for a chance to become one of them.

Nuju, naturally, had said no. Working in a Knowledge Tower required wisdom, patience, and experience. All Ehrye had to offer was enthusiasm and too much energy for his own good, pushing him to the point of recklessness. So the Matoran went back to running errands and dreaming of life inside the towers.

_And now, when I want to find him, he's disappeared! _fumed Nuju.

A search of Ehrye's home had turned up a marked Ko-Metru chute station map and a disturbing journal entry. It read in part:

_I'm going to show them. If I turn over the Great Kanoka Disk like I said I would, I'll learn a secret that will make them beg me to join a Knowledge Tower!_

Nuju shook his head. He had spent his whole life studying what might be and what would be in the days to come, and he knew one thing for certain. There was no future in what Ehrye was about to do.

The Toa of Ice leaped from the top of a Knowledge Tower, his eyes focused on the ledge of another. When he had maneuvered within arm's reach of it, he snapped a crystal spike from his back and swung it hard. It dug into the side of the tower. Nuju swung gracefully around the building, pulling the spike free as he did so. He repeated the exercise twice more on the way down, growing more used to his new Toa tools along the way. Someday, he knew, that experience might save his life.

Nuju had taken the chute map with him when he left Ehrye's house. He hit the ground close to the station that was marked on the map. Talvi, the attendant, was deep in thought and did not notice his approach.

"What? Oh!" Talvi exclaimed when Nuju tapped his shoulder. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"l am Nuju, Toa Metru of Ice. I am looking for a runner named Ehrye. Have you seen him?"

The attendant frowned. "Yes, he was here. I saw him talking to a Matoran from another Metru. I don't remember which. Then he jumped in a chute heading for one of the Knowledge Towers. He was muttering something about a disk."

"Where did he have this conversation?"

"Ummm…let me see. I remember I was analyzing chute dynamics at the time and not really paying attention. But I think it was in that corner over there."

Nuju turned away without saying thank you. He was in no mood to waste words. Instead, he walked over to where the attendant had directed him and looked around. There was little to be seen, just a Po-Metru carving tool and a pass to the Onu-Metru Archives. Either might be important, or they might have been dropped by any of hundreds of Matoran who passed through this chute station.

Talvi had gone back to pondering. It was something Ko-Metru Matoran spent a lot of time doing, in hopes of one day securing a position in a Knowledge Tower. Unfortunately, it also made it hard to get their attention.

"If you see Ehrye again, hold on to him," Toa Nuju said.

"Hmmm? What? Hold on to whom?" Talvi asked, confused.

Nuju walked away, wondering why he even bothered to talk to some Matoran.

X X X

The chute Ehrye had taken led to the lower level of a Knowledge Tower. It was such a silent place it made the rest of the Metru seem positively wild and loud. A small number of Ko-Matoran were hard at work, junior seers who hoped to one day ascend to the ranks of those who labored on the upper levels. Nuju had spent most of his life in Knowledge Towers and could not recall ever seeing a group of scholars looking so annoyed.

As usual, trying to get a scholar to take a break from his studies to talk was like trying to teach Akilini rules to a Rahkshi. They did not seem at all impressed by the presence of a Toa Metru. It was only when Nuju mentioned that a Great Disk was involved that one of them agreed to talk.

"A Great Disk, hmmm?" said the scholar, after introducing himself as Jaa. "Incredible power. I would love the chance to study one. Do you have it?"

"No, I am seeking it. I believe a Matoran named Ehrye is as well, and he may have come here."

"Ehrye!" Jaa spat. "So that was his name! He barged in asking a lot of questions about Kanoka disks, the Morbuzakh plant, and other things that were not his business. No, not his business at all! Then he took a chute to the top of the tower, which is forbidden!"

The other Matoran had turned to see what all the shouting was about. The scholar spotted their angry looks and dropped his voice almost to a whisper. "You will find him there, but you must do something for us in exchange for this information."

Jaa dug into his robes and pulled out a knowledge crystal a little larger than Nuju's hand. "The Morbuzakh vines have done great damage to our towers," the scholar explained. "With this crystal, a new tower can be grown. When you reach the top level, throw this into the air. Wherever it lands, a new tower shall appear."

Nuju took the crystal. "A gift to the future of Metru Nui, then. I will do it."

X X X

Of all the Matoran turned Toa Metru, it was Matau who was happiest about the change. Even when he was just an Ussal cart driver, he dreamed of being a famous hero. Now that it had happened, he intended to enjoy every minute of it.

Having a background in Le-Metru, Matau knew all about chutes.

Chutes ran at varying speeds, although the preferred rates in Le-Metru were "fast," "very fast," and "way too fast." Every chute operated in a dictated direction. Reversing the flow of a chute, and thus changing its direction, was considered to be highly dangerous. The main chute controls were the responsibility of a Matoran named Kongu.

There were two ways to board a chute. The recommended way was at a chute station. These stations were located all over Metru Nui. Here, the flow of the chute slowed down enough that boarding could be done safely and easily. The other method, "chute jumping," was illegal, although still done by some of the more daring Matoran. Chute jumping involved leaping onto a chute during the split seconds that the magnetic energy wavered, so that one passed through the outer layer of forces and into the chute itself. There were two reasons this was risky: first, if the jump was not timed right, the jumper could smack into the outer layer hard and possibly fall off the chute and plunge to the ground. Second, jumping into a high-speed chute increased the chances of being struck by another passenger or piece of cargo.

Some Matoran also did "disking" tricks in chutes. This involved riding through the chute while standing on top of a Kanoka disk, often doing flips or sliding along the walls or ceiling of the chute. This was very common in Le-Metru but was also a good way to catch the eyes of the Vahki.

Matau had been riding the transparent, magnetized protodermis tubes from place to place all his life, as had most Matoran. The tubes were held high over the city by enormous metal beams, and could transport Matoran, tools, or goods across the city in a small amount of time. Living in Le-Metru, the main transport hub for the entire city, he had even had the chance to repair a chute or three in his time. He was quite proud of the fact that no one outside of his Metru knew more about chutes than he did.

All of which made it even stranger that he was now hurtling out of control through a chute at a ridiculously high speed, heading for what would probably be a very dead end. The chute speed was beyond even the 'third preferred level' and he had boarded properly (this time).

Matau had started his search in a very sensical way—by going to Orkahm's house. Orkahm was not there, but a quick search around the home revealed a map with a specifically marked chute station. Matau had gone to that station, where he spoke with the chute station attendant, Tuuli. Tuuli claimed that Orkahm was acting odd—"nervous-wired"—he had said. He then directed Matau to Orkahm's Ussal Pen. It was reachable from that station, and the Le-Matoran was confident that was where he had been going. Matau had then taken the chute, finding himself in this predicament.

Outside the chute, the green-and-brown structures of Le-Metru were nothing but a blur. Matau whipped around a corner, heading for a busy junction and hoping he was not about to collide with some poor Matoran. For at least the tenth time, he tried to jump through the walls of the chute and exit onto some platform or building. But he was thrown, back yet again, slamming into the opposite wall of the magnetic energy and then picking up speed again.

_I wanted to get there quick-fast, but not that quick-fast, _he thought. He wasn't sure how anyone could manage to seal off the walls of a chute, or whether this affected the entire Metru's system or just the tube he was rocketing through. _But I can take a smart-guess. Fire-spitter was right. These disks must be important, and someone doesn't want me to find mine._

Matau's mind raced almost as fast as his body through the chute. The chutes ran throughout the city, but the densest concentration was in Le-Metru. They all fed into one another in the air subcity. If it was only this chute that had been tampered with, then it should be possible to steer into another at the junction.

"Possible. Not healthy-safe, but possible," he muttered.

The first thing Matau had to do was slow down. He unhooked his twin aero slicers from his back and tried digging them into the walls of the chute to act as brakes. But whatever had made the chute resist exits also made it too tough for the swords to pierce.

_I'm thought-planning like a Matoran still, _Matau told himself. _The tools aren't the power. I'm a Toa-hero. I'm the power!_

The Toa Metru of Air glanced ahead. The junction was rushing up toward him, and a transport cart was heading for it from a side chute. At the rate he was moving, he would slam right into the cart. But if he could use his power to slow just a little….

Matau was not famous for deep thought and concentration, but he managed some now. He forced his will on the air in the chute, making it form a thick cushion to lower his speed. Little by little, he could feel himself slowing, but would it be enough?

The transport cart shot through the junction. A split second later, Matau went through. Straining, he reached out and grabbed the back of the cart, letting it pull him down the side chute. The abrupt stop and change of direction almost ripped his arm out of the socket, but somehow he found the strength to hang on. It was only when he had traveled some way from his original chute that he let go and exited out the wall. Then he waited until the world around him stopped going in circles.

X X X

Matau found himself not far from his original destination: the Ussal crab pen of the Le-Matoran named Orkahm. He decided to skip a chute and instead take the sky route via the cables that hung everywhere in Le-Metru.

On the way, he passed a home-owned business called "Tamaru's Transports." Tamaru was a fast-talking Matoran that rented and sold used Ussal carts, failed test track vehicles, and other modes of transport from his shop. After washing out as an airship pilot because of his fear of heights, Tamaru decided it made more sense to have a career firmly on the ground. For Matoran who wanted a change from riding in chutes, that was the place to go.

Ussal pens could be found all over the Metru. The carts they pulled transported goods too large or fragile for the chutes or carried Matoran who preferred to travel a little more slowly. The large crabs were specially trained to obey the commands of their riders, although they had been known to get temperamental at times. Even from high above, it was easy to locate an Ussal crab pen by the aroma—they were not the sweetest-smelling Rahi around.

Matau dropped to the ground near one of the crab keepers, who Matau recognized as Vira. "Don't worry-fear! It's me, Matau. I am a Toa-hero now!"

Vira dropped his tools in surprise. "Wow! You've pulled some fine-great jokes before, Matau, but this—this big-tops them all."

"This isn't a joke," Matau insisted. "l was given this Toa Stone, and I brought it to the Great Temple, and…there isn't time for this. I am looking to seek-find Orkahm. Have you seen him?"

"No," the keeper said. "And I would just as soon wish-hope he stays away. He's been acting mad-crazy. Said he lucky-found something on his route-path, but wouldn't show it to anyone. He was going to bury-hide it. Orkahm always seemed like such a good rider. Who knew the hard-pressure would get to him?"

Matau nodded. It would take too long to explain the situation, but he knew Orkahm had not lost his mind. The Matoran had found a Great Disk and knew someone would try to take it away from him, maybe the same someone who had sabotaged the chute. "So he's gone?"

"He is, but his cart's here. Why are you so deep-interested, Matau? Planning a trick-joke on him?" Vira said, laughing. "He already doesn't spirit-like you. I don't think you want to make it bad-worse."

Matau spotted Orkahm's cart, sitting alone off to the side of the pens. Each rider kept a logbook of his travels during the day, and Orkahm was no exception. Matau fished it out from under the seat and flipped it open, only to discover the careful rider had written the whole thing in code.

Matau was tempted to give up. Then he reminded himself that the other Toa Metru had probably made contact with their Matoran and were waiting for him. He couldn't show up empty-handed. Besides, finding Orkahm and the disk would prove to everyone in Le-Metru that he was a Toa-hero.

He sat down on the cart and began studying the code. Matau had known Orkahm a long time. Orkahm was a chief Ussal cart driver in Le-Metru. The Matoran was thorough, methodical, cautious, and meticulous…which made him a slow rider. Matau, on the other hand, had always been fast and reckless, which was why the two never got along. In a way, Orkahm had always envied Matau's speed and quick wit. But the most important thing Matau remembered about Orkahm was that he had little imagination.

Once the Toa realized that, breaking the code was simple. Orkahm had substituted numbers for letters, but it wasn't done in a particularly clever way. Deciphered, there were three entries, all dated the day before.

_Disk hidden._

_A. wants disk._

_Moto-hub sector 3._

The center of Le-Metru was the Moto-Hub, home to the vehicle manufacturing factories and the chute system controls. Roughly half of the Le-Matoran worked here. The rest mainly did repair and maintenance work in Le-Metru or elsewhere in the city.

_He's deep-hiding in sector 3, _Matau realized. _He's either a fool or very, very scared. Probably both._

Matau jumped in a chute headed northeast. Sector 3 was just across one of the major protodermis canals from Ta-Metru. It had long been known for the sheer number of chute malfunctions that took place there. These were blamed on everything from poor construction to just bad luck, until repair crews sent to the area started disappearing. That was when rumors began to spread that the Morbuzakh was behind all the troubles. Since then, all repair crews traveled with Vahki Vorzakh escorts. Even with that, the Vahki usually returned alone. And since the security squads were incapable of speech, they couldn't explain what had happened.

Unlike most Vahki, the Vorzakh didn't really seem to enjoy chasing lawbreakers. They were direct, impatient, and therefore efficient, if indelicate. If they needed to find someone, they simply levelled everything standing in their path until they located them. Vorzakh Staffs of Erasure were incredibly powerful, able to temporarily eliminate higher mental functions in Matoran, leaving only motor functions intact. Le-Matoran had grown used to seeing these unfortunates, called "shamblers," wandering through the Metru.

_If Orkahm wanted a place to hide, he chose a dangerous one, _Matau thought recalling the information about Sector 3. _Unless he think-knows something I don't?_

Matau leaped out of the chute at a station on the outskirts of the sector. The area had not been abandoned. There were still plenty of riders and other Matoran to be seen, hard at work. But everyone seemed to be moving very quickly and looking over their shoulders every few seconds. This part of Metru Nui wasn't ruled by Turaga Dume or the Vahki. It was ruled by fear.

The sudden appearance of a Toa in their midst drew a lot of attention from the Le-Matoran. They crowded around, asking questions, looking up at him, admiring his armor, and saying that now they were sure everything would be alright. Matau was having such a good time he almost forgot why he was there.

He was reminded abruptly when Kumo, the transport manager, came up to him and said, "Are you search-looking for Orkahm?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"He came hurry-running through here a little while ago, and took the chute that way. He said someone might be dark-following him, and if anyone asked, not to tell them where he had gone."

"Then why are you telling me? Not that I am sad-complaining," said Matau.

"Because you are a Toa-hero," Kumo replied. "I have seen Toa-heroes before, a long time ago, but never met one. I know the legends, though—how Toa are here-strong to protect us and keep us safe. Whatever Orkahm is doing, I don't think he's safe right now. Do you?"


	8. Chapter 8

The Sculpture Fields were great, barren plains dotted with huge statues created by Po-Matoran carvers. The sculptures were so large that very few enclosed buildings in the city could house them, so they had to be created outdoors. Once finished, the statues were transported by fleets of airships to various parts of the city.

Portions of the Sculpture Fields had become unstable due to repeated Rahi activity. As a result, some of the statues had begun to sink into the soft ground, creating eerie monuments, impossible to remove. Certain areas were completely closed to Matoran and the statues residing there were considered lost for good.

Onewa, Toa of Stone, ran at full speed through the large Sculpture Fields. Unfortunately, 'full speed' was not all that fast. His new body was built for strength, not sprinting.

"l need a Mask of Speed," he muttered to himself. "If a Toa of Stone has to do this sort of thing, he needs whatever help he can get."

He pushed the thought of masks out of his mind. He had no idea what Mask of Power he was wearing, what it might do, or even how to make it work. He hoped that eventually that would change, but for now there was no point in worrying about it. Onewa had a mission to perform, so, legs aching and heartlight flashing rapidly, he kept running.

The Sculpture Fields were home to hundreds of statues, most of them far too big to fit in even the largest Po-Metru warehouse. Onewa's goal was one particular work of art, with a very unique feature: a Matoran named Ahkmou was sitting on top of it.

"Hey, Onewa," the Matoran shouted. "What gets harder to catch the faster you run?"

Onewa glared at him. "My breath! You can do better than that, Ahkmou."

"Well, hurry up and get me down from here!" the Matoran replied. "You can, can't you?"

"Just stay there. I'll get to you."

As he ran, the Toa of Stone thought back to how he had ended up here. His first stop had been Ahkmou's home, but the Matoran wasn't there. Carvings were scattered all over the floor, furniture was thrown about…Onewa had worried that Ahkmou had been kidnapped.

A visit to his workplace had turned up no sign of him either. The other carvers said that their coworker had been jumpy lately, especially after he got a visit from two strangers. One carver, Ahkmou's workmate named Hafu, had described one as having four legs, while the other was a giant, and neither looked like he was bringing good news.

Onewa frowned. The description sounded a lot like the hunters Vakama claimed to have seen. Still puzzling over that, he had opened Ahkmou's carver desk. Inside, it was a jumble of items. Onewa spotted not only Po-Metru carving tools but equipment from Ta-Metru, maps from Le-Metru, and assorted items from other parts of the city. It wasn't illegal to have any of that, of course, but why would a Po-Metru carver need it?

_Then again, maybe it all means nothing, _Onewa thought. _The two strangers could have been some new kind of Vahki that Turaga Dume has put in service. The items in his station could be souvenirs of some kind. I mean, what are the chances Ahkmou has a Great Disk and hasn't told everyone he knows about it already? I don't think Vakama had a 'vision.' I think he was just seeing things. _A former carver, Onewa was most comfortable with things he could see and touch; he learned very quickly he had little patience for Vakama's visions.

There were still questions to answer, though. At a protodermis warehouse, Onewa had stumbled on a hidden map of the Sculpture Fields on his way here. One spot was marked, and it was the very same spot at which Ahkmou was waiting now. Who wanted him to go there? And why?

Onewa reached the base of the statue. It was a very long way to the top. Taking a deep breath, he dug his two new tools, called proto pitons, into the stone and began to climb.

Ahkmou leaned over the side and watched. Then he said, "So how did you do it? Really?"

"How did I do what?"

"Make yourself look like a Toa."

"I don't just look like a Toa," Onewa snapped. "I am a Toa!"

"Oh," Ahkmou said, so quietly Onewa could barely hear him. "I see. You must be one of the six, then. And you were looking for me? Is that why you came out here?"

Onewa dragged himself a little farther up the side of the statue. "Yes. I came out here because a fire spitter has been standing too close to his forge and told me I should. He said you had a Great Kanoka Disk."

Ahkmou shook his head. "l don't know anything about any disk. I'm a carver."

With one last effort. Onewa pulled himself to the top of the statue. He lay there, panting for a moment, before looking up at the Matoran."So how did you get up here?"

Ahkmou stood up and backed away a few steps. Suddenly, he seemed nervous. "I—um—I just came up to…" The Matoran's eyes went wide. "Nidhiki!"

Onewa turned around just in time to catch a fleeting glimpse of a four-legged creature on the field below, vanishing behind a statue. "Who is—" he began, looking back at Ahkmou. But the Matoran was gone.

Onewa leaned over the side and saw Ahkmou climbing swiftly down on a series of spikes wedged into the statue. "Hey! Come back here!" the Toa shouted, but Ahkmou was already leaping from statue to statue, heading for the exit from the field.

Onewa gave a growl of frustration and started after him. He had just begun the climb down when he noticed something carved into the top of the statue. It read: PO-METRU CHUTE 445.

_All right then, Ahkmou, _the Toa of Stone said to himself. _I may not be as fast as you, but now I know where you're going. _

Getting out of the Sculpture Fields would be a great deal harder than getting into them had been, that much Onewa was sure of. The ground between his location and the exit was unstable, thanks to years of tilling the soil to recycle protodermis. Half the statues were sinking, and the other half had already disappeared in the marshy ground. Normally, only hopping from one sculpture to another would make for a safe exit.

Onewa paused halfway down the makeshift ladder and began whirling his proto piton. "Toa don't hop," he said. "Not when they can do this."

As smoothly as if he had been doing it for years, Onewa slung the piton toward another statue. The edge of the sharp tool caught the stone and held. After testing the high-tech grappling hook with a few tugs, Onewa stepped off the climbing spikes and swung through the air.

He looped in a wide arc around the sculpture, even as he readied his other piton. At the apex of his swing, he tossed the second piton and watched it bite into another sculpture. "Yes!" He bellowed, smiling. "Who needs chutes? This is the way a Toa should travel!"

X X X

High atop a Knowledge Tower, the air was crisp and clean, pure even. The towers of Ko-Metru reached so high into the sky that their roofs were capped with snow and ice. Inside, hundreds of scholars studied prophecies, made predictions, and watched the stars looking for signs of things to come. One could always find a sense of peace and the time for contemplation here. What could not be found, at least today, was any sign of Ehrye.

Knowledge Towers were some of the most unusual structures in Metru Nui, because they were not built; they were grown. Knowledge crystals about the size of a Matoran's hand were thrown into special cradles located in different places around the district. From there, they grew at a rapid pace until a new tower stood alongside the old ones.

Toa Nuju felt the weight of the crystal in his hand. He approached the edge of the tower, took a deep breath, and tossed the crystal out into space. It tumbled through the air, vanishing into the mist below. An instant later, Nuju followed.

As he fell, he let doubt creep into his mind again. What if Vakama was wrong? What if the Great Disks proved to no one that they were Toa? What if the Great Disks didn't exist at all but were just legends? What then?

Nuju twisted his body in midair. He could barely see the outlines of the new tower. An instant later, he landed feet-first on the top of the rapidly growing structure. It lifted him high in the air once more as it took its place among the other monuments to knowledge in Ko-Metru.

From this new vantage point, Nuju scanned the Metru. Off to the west, he spotted something that looked out of place. A Knowledge Tower's rooftop was littered with protodermis blocks. Since towers were grown, not built, there was no reason any construction material would be there.

He was about to dismiss it as one more strange thing in a city that seemed to be filled with them when he spotted movement behind the blocks. It was Ehrye! Nuju had barely realized that when he saw something much more frightening—a huge crack traveling up the side of the tower. The whole structure was about to fragment and take the Matoran with it.

Nuju got a running start and leaped off the tower. Using his crystal spikes, he swung from one chute to the next as fast as he could. When he was almost on top of the tower, he let go and dropped.

For once, the Toa of Ice tried not to think about the future. If he pondered the possible consequences of what he was trying to do, he would never be able to do it. He waited until his fall had brought him almost parallel to the crack in the tower, then held out his twin spikes and focused his ice power through them. Thin streams of ice shot from the tools, freeze-welding the crack shut as he fell.

Now came the hard part. Most of the damage was repaired, but if he could not stop his fall, he would be an ex-Toa Metru very quickly. He spun, twisted, and dug one spike into the side of the tower. It carved a gash in the crystal and he continued to fall, desperately trying to hang on to the Toa tool. Finally, with the ground much too close for comfort, the spike held and he came to an abrupt stop.

_No wonder we had to be chosen to be Toa Metru, _he thought as he began the long climb to the top of the tower. _No one would ever volunteer for this job._

X X X

Ehrye was still where Nuju had last seen him: trapped behind protodermis blocks at the very top of the tower. Worse, the blocks had not been stacked haphazardly. They were arranged, almost like a puzzle, in such a way that moving the wrong one would bring them all crashing down on the Matoran.

Nuju spent a long time staring at the blocks before he gently shifted one. Then he went back to analyzing the barricade. Ehrye, impatient, shouted, "Are you going to get me out of here? What are you doing?"

"Quiet," Nuju replied. "Someone did not want you walking away from this tower. But you are important to the future of Metru Nui, fortunately for you, so the Toa of Ice is going to get you out of what you have gotten into."

"Yes, I heard you were a Toa," said the Matoran grimly. "Now I'll never have a chance at a promotion."

The Toa Metru ignored him. This puzzle was highly intricate, but it was designed to defeat someone who could not think ahead. _They picked the wrong Toa then, _Nuju said to himself.

It took an agonizingly long time, but finally enough blocks were cleared for Ehrye to slip out. He stretched himself and looked up at his rescuer. "l suppose you're wondering how I got here?"

"Yes. You took many risks, Ehrye, and broke a number of laws. I should turn you over to the Vahki and be done with it. But I need you. Or, rather, I need the Kanoka disk you have located."

"Why should I give it to you?" Ehrye replied. "That disk could be my ticket to a Knowledge Tower position."

Nuju gestured at the pile of protodermis blocks. "It was almost your ticket to a tomb. Think about the future, Ehrye."

The Matoran spent a few minutes doing just that. Then he said, "l get full credit for finding it? And no Vahki come knocking on my door?"

"Vahki don't knock," Nuju reminded him. "They smash doors down. And they keep smashing them down until they find the one you're hiding behind."

"You have a point," Ehrye agreed. "Even if I didn't have to worry about them, there's still that big Rahi breath that walled me up here."

Nuju and Ehrye headed for the chute that would bring them back down to ground level. Still shaken by his experience, Ehrye wouldn't stop babbling. "I know why you're looking for that disk, Toa Nuju. It's the root, right?"

"Root?"

"The Morbuzakh plant—it has a king root. I found that out when I was researching the Great Disk. Stop the root, you stop the spread of the plant. But you need all six disks to do it."

"Then you will come with me to see the other Toa Metru now," Nuju said.

"There are more of you?"

"And then we will go get the Great Disk."

"Oh, I'll tell you where it is. I'll even go with you. But you're going to have to retrieve it. From what I've learned, no one but a Toa Metru has a chance of getting that disk from its hiding place."

"l see," Nuju said.

"In fact," continued Ehrye, "l might not get the Knowledge Tower job. But if the Great Disk is as hard to get as I think it is, your job might be open soon, Toa of Ice."

Neither one of them laughed at Ehrye's little joke.

X X X

When they reached the ground, Nuju gestured for Ehrye to follow him. To the Matoran's surprise, they did not head for a chute station but for the alley behind the tower.

"Where are we going?"

"Knowledge Towers do not crack by themselves," said Nuju. "Well, sometimes they do, but this one did not. I am searching for the cause."

Ehrye trailed along behind as Nuju walked up and down the length of the alley. Along the way, the Matoran peppered him with questions. "What are you looking for? Does that mean anything? What does it feel like to be a Toa Metru? Do you think the Morbuzakh plant will wreck the whole city?"

"Enough!" Nuju snapped. "The future will bring the answers to your questions, but only if you stop speaking long enough to notice them."

"That's what you always say," Ehrye grumbled.

"When it stops being true, I will stop saying it," Nuju replied.

The Toa of Ice moved around to a shadowed portion of the tower. There, just below eye level, was the beginning of the crack that had threatened to bring the whole structure down. Peering closely at it, he looked for any sign of the tool that had been used.

What he found was something quite different. The edges of the damaged area were melted and fused. In many places, the crystal had turned black. No Matoran tool had done this. It was a surge of energy.

Troubled, Nuju knelt down to examine the ground. Crushed knowledge crystals littered the pavement. The Toa of Ice carefully sifted through them to reveal scrapings on the ground below. They were the marks of a four-footed being who had stood right in that spot while he no doubt set his trap.

_Vakama was right, _Nuju thought, _this time. But who is this monster? Why is he doing this? Is he working for someone else, or does he stand to gain somehow by all this damage?_

He rose and walked toward the mouth of the alley, not saying a word to Ehrye. The Matoran kicked at the knowledge crystal fragments before following. His thoughts had gone back to the missed opportunity of the Great Disk. If he could have gotten his hands on it or maybe somehow tricked Nuju into getting it for him, Ko-Metru would have been at his feet. Now it would be back to running errands. Unless, of course, he could still find a way to get the disk after Nuju found it.

Ehrye was still pondering that happy thought when Nuju stopped short. The Toa of Ice bent down to pick up an artifact, but Ehrye could not make out what it was. After a moment, Nuju turned around and held the item out. It was a small, intricate carving.

"What's that?" Ehrye asked.

"l thought perhaps you could tell me," said Nuju coldly. "This came from Po-Metru. It's signed by Ahkmou the carver."

Ehrye shrugged. "So?"

"At the chute station, the attendant said he saw you talking with a Matoran before you left for the Knowledge Tower. He couldn't remember who it was, but I think I know. It was Ahkmou, wasn't it? That's why there was a Po-Metru carving tool in the station. He was careless…must have been in a big hurry."

"Okay, so it was Ahkmou," Ehrye replied. "We're friends. We play Akilini together sometimes. What does this have to do with—"

"Listen to me," Nuju said, leaning in so close that Ehrye was chilled by his frigid breath. "We are not playing Akilini now. All of Metru Nui is at stake. Now, what did Ahkmou want?"

Ehrye broke and ran. Nuju frowned and used a minimal amount of elemental power to block the alley with a wall of ice. Stymied, the Matoran turned around.

"Wrong answer," said Nuju.

"All right. He said he wanted to carve replicas of the Great Disks as a gift for Turaga Dume. He wanted to know all about them and figured I could get information from the Knowledge Towers."

"Is that all he said?"

"Yes," Ehrye answered, his eyes on the ground.

Nuju could tell he was not revealing the whole truth, but there would be time to uncover it later. For now, they needed to return to Ga-Metru and meet with the other Toa. He turned and walked toward the chute station, confident that Ehrye would be wise enough not to try to run again.

"What are you going to do about that ice wall?" the Matoran asked. "Will it melt?"

"Eventually."

"Won't there be questions? I mean, how many Matoran know there's a Toa of Ice around?"

"It will give the scholars something to ponder," said Nuju. "And before all is said and done, all of Metru Nui will know that Toa Nuju has arrived."

X X X

Orkahm had made straight for a long-unused chute that went even deeper into Sector 3. Matau was about to follow when he noticed something on the support struts beneath the chute. Something had been scratched into the solid protodermis.

Matau knelt down to take a closer look. The carving was relatively fresh, made with a short, sharp instrument. It had left behind protodermis dust in the scratchings, but not dust from the strut. This looked more like dust from Po-Metru. Carved into the strut was a single word: PUKU.

Matau read it once more to make sure he wasn't mistaken. Under ordinary circumstances, he would have dismissed this as some Matoran's idea of fun, leaving a mark behind on a chute. Matau had done that sort of prank himself in the past, along with hundreds of others.

But this was no joke—this was a message. Puku was the name of Orkahm's favorite Ussal crab, the one he had been riding for as long as Matau could remember. The Toa doubted Orkahm would have taken the time to scratch this in the strut.

_Someone else, then, _he said to himself. _As a code-sign? A threat? _

Without hesitating even for a moment, Matau jumped into the chute and began to follow the trail of the missing Matoran.

X X X

The farther one traveled into this portion of Le-Metru, the more buildings, chutes, and cables seemed to crowd in. The residents were fighting a losing battle against the Morbuzakh here. It was obvious that even the Vahki were not venturing this far, because Matau spotted at least two nests of insectoid Nui-Rama on rooftops. Normally, they would have been netted and shipped off to the Archives long ago.

Matau could see the chute change direction sharply up ahead. To his trained eye, it was obvious that the chute had not been built that way. Someone had rerouted it and not done a very good job. Still, the cylinder of energy held as he tore around the corner and went flying into the air.

_Of course. Badly fix-patched chute, cut-severed end…why am I surprised?_

He landed hard amid a tangled nest of transport cables. These cables helped feed energized protodermis into the chutes and chute stations, not to mention being great fun to swing from. Matau was puzzling over how he would ever untangle them when he noticed something in the center of the tangle, looking like it had been caught in a Fikou spiderweb.

It was Orkahm!

"Rider!" Matau said. "How did you get yourself in this trap-snare?"

"l didn't! Someone put me here!" the Matoran replied. "Now, please get me away-out!"

Matau worked as quickly as he could, unknotting the cables but being careful not to tighten them around Orkahm in the process. When he was done, the Matoran practically fell into his arms. "What happened?" Matau asked. "Where is the Great Disk?"

"Not here. I deep-wish it was! I wish I could throw-give it away right now, with all the trouble it has caused me," Orkahm said, his voice filled with exhaustion. "Ever since I found it, I've been fear-followed by two beings, one huge, one with four legs, not to mention having Ahkmou on my back about it. Then I got this message." He handed Matau a small tablet. It read:

_The disk you found is vital to the security of the city. Bring it to Moto-Hub Sector 3 and take the marked chute._

"But you didn't bring the disk," Matau said.

"l thought it might be a dark-trick. Maybe they wanted to follow-tail me to where it was lost-hidden. No sooner did I get here than these cables snapped tight-hard around me. I heard a far-voice say that someone would be along soon to talk-chat to me. But no one came until you, Matau."

"You sure-know who I am?" Matau said, surprised.

"Of course! Only you would be silly-foolish enough, reckless enough, to come after me here. You were a harm-danger to everyone on the road as a rider, and you will probably be a danger as a Toa-hero, too…but thank you."

For the first time in his life, Matau found he had nothing to say. It was just as well, too, for if he had spoken he would never have heard the slithering sound coming from among the cables. He shot a look at the web only long enough to see three Morbuzakh vines working their way toward them. "We have to get out of here!" he shouted.

Now Orkahm saw the vines, too, and was backing away. "How? The chute only goes in one direction, and it's too high-up to jump to anyway. We're trapped!"

"Toa-heroes are never trapped," Matau said, doing his best to sound the way he imagined a Toa Metru should. He grabbed Orkahm and yelled, "Hang on!" as the twin aero slicers on his back began to whirl.

It wasn't easy getting off the ground with the extra weight of Orkahm, but they managed it with barely an inch to spare. The vines wrapped themselves around the chute struts and snaked their way after the two, but by now Matau was flying too high and too fast for them to catch.

"How did you know this would work?" Orkahm asked.

"I'm a Toa-hero. This is what we do," Matau answered. He decided it was best to keep to himself the fact that he'd had absolutely no idea whether the stunt would work and just took the chance.

_Maybe that is what being a Toa-hero is really about in the end, _he thought as he flew over Le-Metru. _Taking the chances you have to take. Doing the things no one else is able to do. _Matau banked sharply and headed for the center of the Metru. _I think I could get to like this, _he said to himself with a smile.


	9. Chapter 9

Ahkmou elbowed his way through the crowd at Chute Station 445. This was the busiest station in all of Po-Metru, linking as it did to all the other districts. Getting through it was a nightmare. Ahkmou knew that was most likely the reason he had been directed here. In this mob, anything could happen, and no one would ever notice.

_Well, this is one Matoran who doesn't intend to mysteriously disappear, _he thought. _I'm catching the next chute, and then let them try and find me._

Ahkmou felt only one twinge of regret as he headed for the chute to Ta-Metru. He had hoped to somehow get his hands on the Po-Metru Great Disk before he left. But when Toa Onewa showed up, running suddenly seemed like a better idea. "At least I lost that big Akilini-head," he grumbled. Then he cast a quick glance back to make sure Onewa hadn't followed him. "Why anyone would make him a Toa, I can't—"

Still searching the crowd for Onewa, Ahkmou slammed right into a pair of pillars and fell over. He sat up, brushed himself off, and was about to snarl something about idiots putting pillars in the middle of a chute station when he noticed something very disturbing.

They weren't pillars. They were legs.

Toa Metru legs.

Ahkmou looked up into the smiling face of Onewa. "Going somewhere?" the Toa asked.

"Just—just back to work," Ahkmou stammered. "Can't, um, spend all day sitting on statues, you know."

"That's funny," Onewa replied, gesturing to the nearby chute. "I didn't know they had moved your carver's table to Ta-Metru." The Toa reached down and gently grabbed Ahkmou, lifting him into the air. "Why don't we try this again? Hello, Ahkmou. Where are you going? Why did someone leave a note for you on top of a sculpture? And where is the Great Disk?"

"I don't know what you're talking about! Put me down!" Ahkmou shouted.

Onewa noticed a Vahki Zadakh responding to the disturbance. The chute attendant, Kivi, must have signaled them. Zadakh were huge, strong, very fast, and fearless, some might even say reckless. Their great strength offered simply barreling and charging into a situation as not always a bad option. They were always the first ones into a fight and the last ones left standing. Zadakh Staffs of Suggestion left a Matoran susceptible to influence for the duration of the charge, usually several hours. All this led to a simple preferred tactic for enforcing the law: pacify with excessive force.

The crowd swiftly parted to let the security enforcer through. Onewa considered just bolting with the Matoran, but sudden movement would be sure to provoke a pursuit, and there wasn't time for that. He also wasn't any more in the mood than the crowd was to be 'pacified' (especially 'excessively.')

For his part, Ahkmou had not even noticed the Vahki. His attention was riveted by the sudden appearance of Nidhiki, who was watching the action from a shadowy corner of the station with a sinister grin on his face. The Matoran frantically weighed the choice between an angry Toa or a smiling, four-legged hunter and found it wasn't any choice at all.

"Okay, tell you what," Ahkmou said quickly. "I'll help you find the Great Disk, but we have to go now. Understand? Now!"

Onewa glanced at the Vahki, who was still a short distance away. When he looked over his shoulder to make sure the other direction was clear, he spotted Nidhiki withdrawing into the shadows. The Toa's eyes narrowed at the sight of him.

"Sure, Ahkmou," Onewa said quietly. "I think I do understand."

X X X

"One of them is lying." Vakama's words were hard, but his tone was very soft. The Toa were sitting in the shadow of the Great Temple, sharing the tales of their adventures. When the stories were finished, it didn't take a vision to know something was very wrong.

Nokama nodded and glanced over to a corner of the Temple, where the six Matoran gathered. "They can guide us to the Great Disks…but I am convinced one of them plans to betray us yet. The traps did not succeed before—we must accept the possibility that they will try again. We have to be on our guard."

Onewa shook his head, firmly disbelieving. "I still think all the heat has melted your brains, fire-spitter. But if one of those Matoran does plan to steal those disks…I'll stop them when it comes to that."

Vakama glanced back over at the Matoran, watching them converse in hushed tones. "Each of them _claims _he or she was lured into a trap."

"What's that you're whisper-saying, mask maker?" asked Matau.

Vakama glanced at the six Matoran, who were standing off to the side and looking uncomfortable. "It's just—look at what happened. It was no coincidence. We went out looking for six Matoran, and each of them was gone. They were lured away and promised whatever they wanted most in return for a Great Disk. Meanwhile, we ran into 'accidents' and sabotage every step of the way."

The other Toa nodded in agreement and reflection as Vakama recounted: "Matau found himself trapped and out of control in a Le-Metru chute. Nokama was forced to swim for her life to escape a squad of Vahki Bordakh. Whenua found himself stalked by Rahkshi through a sub-basement of the Onu-Metru Archives. Nuju was forced to rely on his untested ice power and his crystal spikes to save himself from a crashing end. And Onewa discovered that even a Po-Metru statue could become a dangerous trap. Meanwhile, I found Nuhrii half-buried under rubble in a long-abandoned part of Ta-Metru, after stopping a molten protodermis leak due to sabotaged equipment." After a pause, he restated, "Someone didn't want us to find the Matoran or the Great Disks. And during all our struggles, the Morbuzakh spread—fast. Entire sections of the city have been abandoned."

"And you think one of the Matoran betrayed the others?" asked Nuju. "What about that four-legged monster and his friend? Couldn't they be behind all of this?"

Vakama hesitated. Nokama leaned over and said, "Go ahead, Vakama. Tell us."

"I've seen the four-legged one before, as well as his partner," Vakama said quietly. "His power and his rage were…frightening. I don't think he would bother with such elaborate methods to lure the Matoran. He would have just taken them."

"But which one can it be?" Nokama asked. "They all knew where to find a Great Disk. They all had reasons to dislike one of us. If anything, we have too many clues: notes from Ahkmou to Vhisola, notes from Vhisola to Tehutti, Ta-Metru tools, Le-Metru chute maps, Knowledge Tower dust…where do we start?"

"You are looking at what they have in common, Nokama," said Whenua. "When an archivist is trying to solve a mystery of the past, he looks for what is uncommon, out of place. What is different about one of them?"

Nuju frowned. "Old methods won't solve this, historian."

"No, Whenua has a point," said Nokama. "For example, each of the Matoran recognized us as Toa Metru. Someone must have told them we had transformed. But none of them ever referred to _six _Toa, did they? Each Matoran only seemed to know about the Toa from his or her own Metru. So maybe—"

"You're wrong," cut in Onewa. "I didn't mention it before. I didn't think it was important. But when I talked to Ahkmou on top of the sculpture, he said something odd. He said, 'You must be one of the six.' And he seemed to know our four-legged friend. He called him by name—Nidhiki."

All eyes went to the Po-Matoran, who was standing apart from the others. "From what you said, Onewa, Ahkmou was the only one who lied about knowing the location of a Great Disk," said Nuju. "AII of the others practically bragged about it."

"Ahkmou's name was on the note to Vhisola," said Nokama.

"There was protodermis dust from Po-Metru near the sabotaged vat controls," said Vakama.

"Ahkmou was asking Ehrye about the Great Disks," added Nuju.

"Orkahm said Ahkmou need-wanted his disk very badly," said Matau.

"And Ahkmou knew about Nui-Jaga, enough to use the idea of one to lure Tehutti to the Archives," finished Whenua.

There was a long, uncomfortable silence, finally broken by Nokama. "Do you think…? Why would he do that? Why would anyone want to stop us from ending the Morbuzakh threat?"

Vakama thought for a while in silence, then turned out to face Metru Nui's glittering skyline. "Perhaps…perhaps there is far more to the Morbuzakh than we know, Nokama. And we had better find out what it is fast, if we want Metru Nui to survive."

"l say we ask him," said Onewa, rising. "And then we haul him to the Vahki."

"No!" snapped Vakama. "We mustn't!"

"Fire-spitter, I am getting tired of you giving orders," Onewa growled, taking a step toward the Toa of Fire. "Who made you leader? Maybe it's time we found out just which is more powerful, fire or stone!"

Nokama stood and placed herself between them. "Stop it! Metru Nui is in danger. This is no time to fight among ourselves!"

"If you had something besides rocks in your head, carver, you would understand," said Whenua. "Even if Ahkmou is the traitor, he is still the only one who knows where the Po-Metru disk is hidden. We need him. But if you feel like you can't keep an eye on him, well, I—"

"Listen, you dusty librarian, I found him, and I can keep him in line!" snapped Onewa. "At least until I have the Great Disk in my hands."

"Then our job has just begun," said Nokama. "If Ahkmou has betrayed Metru Nui, he is a danger to us all, and so is that Nidhiki."

"Nokama is right," said Vakama. "We have to find the Great Disks before it's too late. And we have to keep an eye on all the Matoran while we're doing it."

Whenua offered a compromise. "History says there's safety in numbers. Let's split into three teams to find the Great Disks."

"Always living in the past, Whenua," Nuju retorted. He changed his tone to make it clear he wasn't agreeing, but giving a new opinion. "But…it would make it easier to keep an eye on the Matoran."

"Good thought-plan!" Matau chimed. "Of course, you got the idea from me…"

"Just remember," Nokama said once more, "Maybe Ahkmou and Nidhiki are working together, or maybe not, but we must beware of both."

"Or maybe they need to beware of us," answered Onewa.

Vakama replied, "Either way, the Morbuzakh is apparently not our only enemy."

Their conversation was interrupted by the ugly sound of a protodermis structure snapping in two. They turned to see Morbuzakh vines hauling the broken remains of a small Ga-Metru temple into the sea.

"As if we need more than one, with that thing around," said Onewa. "Let's go. We have disks to find and a really nasty weed to rip out by the roots."

X X X

Vakama could not have known how truly he had spoken. Nor could he have ever imagined the monstrous thing that lurked in one of the most well-known places in the entire City of Legends—the King Root of the Morbuzakh.

_Othersss have hurt usssssss…ssstruck at ussssss…. But they cannot ssstop usssssss!_ the plant body echoed in a shrill thought. _We will ssslip through the cracksss and then vanish like ghostssss. The Matoran will be driven to the center of the city, as we have been commanded. _It triumphantly said to itself, _Then Metru Nui will belong to the Morbuzakh!_

* * *

X X X

**Now... **

Turaga Vakama paused. The memories of his days as a Toa Metru were powerful ones. There were many times he thought he might never get the chance to tell the tales of Metru Nui and the struggle to save it. Now the words spilled from him like a flood, and he found it almost too much to bear. Toa Lhikan…the forges of Ta-Metru…his life as a Toa…all so long ago.

"So much history followed us here…" Tahu said, unusually thoughtful for a change. "You Turaga, the legacy of this 'Toa Lhikan'…."

"All are secrets I wished I could tell, Tahu," Vakama said. "And in some ways, I tried, if only to preserve memories which should not be forgotten. Do you remember the tales of the Matoran lava surfer named Lhii?"

Tahu nodded three times, then froze. "You surely couldn't mean…"

"Lhii and Lhikan were one in the same on purely level of virtue," Vakama answered. "Lhii never existed, but he served the purpose of keeping Lhikan in my memory, and his spirit in the memories of the Ta-Matoran."

Tahu thought again. In Vakama's tale, Turaga Dume had referred to Toa Lhikan as the last of the Toa Mangai. Glancing up at the Mangai Volcano, he thought about that. "Mangai" meant 'protector' in Matoran. Just as Lhikan was the 'protecting hero' for Metru Nui, the Mangai Volcano was the sight in the sky that brought a feeling of security to those below. Vakama must have used that word to name the landmark as for that purpose as well as a remembrance to the past.

"That can't be the end of the story," said Takanuva, Toa of Light. "I mean, there is more, isn't there? What happened to this Toa Lhikan?"

Turaga Vakama smiled. "You were the Chronicler before you were a Toa, Takanuva, and that questioning spirit still lives on in you. Always you seek to know what is hidden. But you are right, that is only the beginning of my tale."

"Did you find the Great Disks?" asked Tahu Nuva. "Did you defeat the Morbuzakh? We must know!"

"And so you shall," said Vakama. "But I am weary, and there is much work still to be done. I will continue my tale tomorrow. Before I am done, you will know why we fought so hard for Metru Nui—and why we were forced to leave. Mata Nui, in his wisdom, brought us to this beautiful island that bears his name. But home will always be Metru Nui."

"Very well, then," said Gali, Toa Nuva of Water. "We will leave you for now, wise one. I know I feel the need for a long talk with Turaga Nokama, and I am sure my brothers have similar ideas."

"Indeed," answered Kopaka, Toa Nuva of Ice, quietly. "There have been far too many secrets kept on this island."

With that, the Toa Nuva filed away, heading in different directions. Only Takanuva remained behind with the Turaga of Fire.

"What troubles you, Toa?" asked Vakama. "Was my tale not what you expected?"

"It's not that," said Takanuva. "l have been a Matoran and now I am a Toa, and yet I still do not remember this city of Metru Nui! Why?"

"You will learn all, in time. Perhaps we should have shared all of this with you long ago, but we felt it would be cruel to remind you of a home you might never see again."

Takanuva nodded. "Perhaps that was wise, Turaga. But tell me, when you lived in Metru Nui—was it wonderful?"

"Wonderful…and terrible," said the Turaga. "l fear that when I have finished my tale, the Toa will have learned the true meaning of darkness."

_To be continued in "Bionicle Phase #03: Provenance - Part II: Botanical Predator"..._

_(Utopian Mystery was compiled from the guide BIONICLE: Metru Nui - City of Legends; the movie Bionicle 2: Legends of Metru Nui; the book Adventures 1: Mystery of Metru Nui; Graphic Novel #2: Challenge of the Rahkshi, containing Comic #15: Secrets and Shadows, and Graphic Novel #3: City of Legends, containing Comic #16: Toa Metru!)_


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